When I was five years old, I needed a tonsillectomy.
In preparation for the procedure, my parents talked to me about what would
happen by using H.A & Margret Rey’s Curious
George Goes to the Hospital. The seventh and final book of the original
series, it was published in 1966. However, it might never have been, but fortunately,
for children around the globe, the German-born Jewish authors were able to flee
Europe ahead of Hitler’s oppression.
Born in Hamburg in 1898, Hans Reyersbach lived near
the Hagenbeck Zoo where he became fascinated with the animals and learned to
imitate their sounds and paint their likeness. After serving in the Army during
WWI, Hans painted circus posters for a living until going to Rio de Janeiro in
the mid-1920s where he met he future wife Margarete who had fled Germany after
Hitler’s rise to power.
The couple married in 1936 and founded an advertising
agency. Hans decided his last name was too difficult for the Brazilians, so he
changed it to “Rey.” Margarete decided to become “Margaret,” and shortly
thereafter they obtained Brazilian citizenship. They decided to honeymoon in
Europe, and ultimately settled in the Montmartre neighborhood in Paris.
By 1939, they had published Raffy and the 9 Monkeys. Margret helped write the story, and Hans
drew the illustrations. Their next idea was about the youngest monkey in Raffy who was constantly getting
himself into scrapes. The Adventures of
FiFi was contracted with a French publisher, but before it could be
released Paris was occupied by German forces, and being a Jew was dangerous.
It was time to leave. Hans built two bicycles from
spare parts, and Margret packed their manuscripts and artwork into baskets
dangling from the handlebars. On June 12, 1940, the couple set out, working their
way south with hundreds of thousands of other refugees, alternately biking,
walking, and using trains. Because they were Brazilian citizens they were able
to get visas to leave the country. However, one official was suspicious about
their German accents and detained them as possible spies. After finding FiFi, he decided the pair was harmless
and sent them on their way.
The books were an instant success and have since sold
more than 27 million copies worldwide.
Which is your favorite Curious George book?
Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. To find out more about Linda and her books, visit her website. Receive a free short story for signing up for her newsletter. You can find Linda on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
