Curious George didn’t just come from a cute idea. He came from a suitcase of drawings carried through a collapsing Europe while German-born Jewish refugees tried to stay one step ahead of the war.

We tell the story of H A Rey (born Hans Augusto Reyersbach) and Margaret Rey, a sharp, blunt, brilliant partner who sees his artistic talent as something worth rescuing. Their path runs from post World War I Germany to Brazil, then into pre-war Paris, where they begin turning animal sketches into children’s book characters. A baby monkey named Fifi steals the spotlight, and the work starts to feel like a real future.

Then history interrupts. When World War II hits France, the Rays face suspicion, searches, closed routes, and the kind of slow bureaucracy that can get you killed. They flee Paris on bicycles, sleep wherever they can, and fight for paperwork in Lisbon before finally making it to the United States. Along the way, a publisher at Houghton Mifflin makes one pivotal suggestion: Fifi needs a new name, and Curious George is born.

If you love book history, WWII survival stories, publishing lore, or the hidden origins of classic children’s literature, this one lands hard. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow history nerd, and leave a rating and review so more listeners can find us.

Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators

https://tubitv.com/movies/100040960/monkey-business-the-adventures-of-curious-george-s-creators

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margret_Rey

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._A._Rey

Rey Cultural Center

https://thereycenter.org/index.html

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