Curious George

Before appearing in his own series, Curious George appeared as a character in another children's book written and illustrated by H.A. Rey, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys 1939. Curious George appeared in 1941. This book begins with George living in Africa and tells the story of his capture by the Man with the Yellow Hat, who takes him on a ship to "the big city" where he will live in the zoo. Margret and H.A. Rey released seven "Curious George" books during H.A. Rey's lifetime. More recently, more Curious George books have been released by Houghton Mifflin including board books with scenes from the original books, books adapted from the 1980s telefilm series, and new adventures. The only recurring character in the original adventures, other than George himself, is the Man with the Yellow Hat. It was he who brought George from Africa, and it is in his house that George lives. The Man often facilitates George's adventures by taking him somewhere, and even more often resolves the tension by appearing just in time to get George out of a tight spot. He is always seen wearing a bright yellow suit and a wide-brimmed yellow hat. The Man is never mentioned by name in the original adventures, or in any subsequent content over more than six decades. He is always called either "the Man" or fully "the Man with the Yellow Hat". When people speak to George about the Man, they often refer to him as "your friend." This tradition was broken in the 2006 film, in which the Man is referred to as "Ted Shackleford".