Oh, Were They Ever Happy!

Peter Spier. Doubleday Books for Young Readers 1988, Paperback, $6.95

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This story brings us another episode in the Noonan family, who also appear in Spier’s later books Christmas and Rain.  Before their parents leave the children at home to run errands for the day, Mrs. Noonan remarks to her husband that the house needs painting.  When the babysitter never arrives, the three children decide to surprise their parents by painting the house themselves.  Opportunistically gathering up a large collection of half-filled paint cans from the garage, they set to work painting the house, top to bottom, chimney and doorknobs, in a variegated rainbow of colors.  The well-meaning mayhem that ensues is profoundly destructive, and the children innocent congratulate themselves for a job well done, gleefully anticipating how happy their parents will be to see their handiwork.

The fantastical scale of the children’s efforts saves the book from being painful to read, and adults will laugh along with younger readers at the ridiculously costly mistake.  While the youngest readers will need help understanding that the children were being foolish, even young readers will appreciate the irony in the closing scene, in which the children eagerly await their parents’ arrival.  We don’t see the parents’ reaction, we just see the rainbow-colored house with the phrase:  “Oh, were they ever happy!”

This book is unfortunately out of print, but is available in public libraries and on the used book market.

Curious George Goes to the Hospital Book & CD (Read Along Book & CD)

H. A. Rey. HMH Books 2008, Paperback, 48 pages, $5.97

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is the last of the original Curious George books by Margret and H.A. Rey.  In it, George is home alone when a package arrives at the door.  Since the man with the yellow hat is away, George opens the package, and everlastingly curious, swallows one of the puzzle pieces that he finds inside.  When his stomach begins to hurt, the man with the yellow hat checks him into the hospital children’s ward to have it removed.  There he meets many children, among them the frightened and sad Betsy.  In the process of his own recovery, George gets up to his inevitable monkey mischief, makes an enormous mess and manages to cheer up the sad little girl.

While the story quality of this George book isn’t quite up to the others in the original series, it is still a great read-aloud, even when no hospital visit is imminent for the listener.  And if a hospital visit does become necessary, the story may help prepare them for the experience.  A 1960′s hospital is quite different than a hospital of today, but caregiving adults in uniform, needles, hospital gowns, and the practice of anesthesia for surgery remain the same.

Most Curious George stories are simple fun, but this one actually provides a moral example to follow.  George’s attitudes of bravery, cheerfulness and helping others feel better is a positive one, even if he does get into mischief.

The Moffats

Louis Slobodkin (Illustrator). Harcourt 2001, Paperback, 210 pages, $1.64

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Moffats, who live in the same town as the owners of Ginger Pye, are a close-knit family of four children and a hard-working seamstress mother, whose bust “Madame” occupies a central position in the family’s little brown house.  Although the children are essentially good-hearted, they get into an astounding amount of mischief, making for a sometimes uproarious family story full of warmth and love.  Mother is the source of the family’s security: her understated courage in the face of sickness, poverty, and the challenge of supporting four children sets the mood of the little brown house, providing her children a great sense of security despite the absence of their deceased father.

Estes’ engaging characters, living in the context of a sweetly old-fashioned small town, hold an undeniable appeal that has caused this story to endure for 70 years.

Curious George Takes a Job

H. A. Rey. HMH Books 1974, Paperback, 48 pages, $2.44

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is another of the Reys’ gleeful books of monkey business.  In this one, George escapes from the zoo, wanders into a restaurant and gets caught eating the pasta, takes a job as a window-washer (and gets distracted painting a jungle-scape in someone’s apartment), and takes a fall from the fire escape, landing himself in the hospital, where the man with the yellow hat comes to rescue him.

The book is characterized by the excellent writing of the classic Curious George series, with fast-moving action and a lovable, mischievous character all children love to vicariously enjoy.  It’s appropriate for preschool through elementary school ages.

Curious George Flies a Kite (Curious George – Level 1)

H. A. Rey. HMH Books 1977, Paperback, 80 pages, $0.98

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is another of the Reys’ wonderful Curious George series.  In this story, George goes from one adventure to another — losing and finding a baby bunny, learning how to fish, and naughtily flying a kite until he flies high above the town, only to be rescued by the Man with the Yellow Hat.  George has delighted children for generations, and this makes for an enjoyable read.  Unlike the later knock-off George series, this story is characterized by the Reys’ carefully crafted writing and wonderful classic illustrations.  It is appropriate for beginning readers.

Curious George Learns the Alphabet (Curious George – Level 1)

H. A. Rey. HMH Books 1973, Paperback, 80 pages, $1.98

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This book is different from the rest of the Curious George series, because it is primarily devoted to introducing each letter of the alphabet by transforming the letter into an animal or other object.  This device makes the letters memorable, and many of the letter-pictures are accompanied by sidebar-style scenes and commentary in the margin.  There is just enough humor to help retain interest, as George takes breaks to make up silly words, play football, and go out for doughnuts (mischievously changing the Man in the Yellow Hat’s note from “One dozen” to “ten dozen.”)  But this is really an alphabet lesson disguised as a story, and might not be a big hit with children who aren’t ready to learn the alphabet.

One nice feature is that the authors have made sure the letter in focus appears frequently in the explanatory text, and have used color to highlight each instance of it.  This makes the text a bit contrived, but it does help the fledgling reader see how the letters he or she is learning are used to create the words of the story.

While this book shouldn’t be the primary introduction to the letters of the alphabet, it is a good supplement for an alphabet lesson, especially for children who have enjoyed the other Curious George books.

Good Night, Gorilla

Peggy Rathmann. Putnam Juvenile 1996, Board book, 34 pages, $3.80

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Good Night Gorilla is a charming, nearly-wordless book about a gorilla living in a zoo.  When the zookeeper bids the animals good night one-by-one, the gorilla filches the ring of colored keys from his belt and lets himself out of his cage.  He then follows him around the zoo, matching the keys to the cages of the same color, and letting the animals out.  The animals parade quietly behind the zookeeper as he walks home across a field, bids his wife goodnight and turns off the light.  When all of the animals answer her “Good night, dear,” the wife gets up and returns them to their cages, except for the gorilla who sneaks out a second time to steal back into the couple’s bed.

The simple humor of this story is very accessible to young children, and the bright artwork, softened by evening shadows, evokes a warm, comforting mood.  Children will enjoy the absurdity of animals trooping into a human house, and delight in being “in the know” about the gorilla’s secret plan.  As in the Curious George books, children may vicariously enjoy the gorilla’s mischievous actions, then enjoy his warm feeling of security as he happily falls asleep between the husband and wife who care for him.

(Families who feel strongly that children belong in their own beds may want to read this book with an instruction not to follow Gorilla’s example.)

Curious George Gets a Medal (Curious George – Level 1)

H. A. Rey. HMH Books 1974, Paperback, 48 pages, $0.01

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Curious George books are part of a larger genre of children’s fiction, popular during the 1940′s and 50′s, of mild-mannered domesticated wild animals.  (Other examples of this kind of story are Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Crictor, and The Story of Babar.)  This genre plays on the unusual characteristics of these anthropomorphized animals, who are so different from ordinary cat-and-dog pets.  While these animals are always goodwilled, their wild nature causes trouble even as they seek to integrate into human society.

Young children have adored the Curious George books since the first one was published in the 1940s, and their popularity remains undiminished in our household.  George is a monkey from the Amazon who was captured and brought home by the Man in the Yellow Hat.  George happily settles into domestic life, but remains a mischievous monkey who constantly got into trouble, usually by failing to follow instructions from humans.  George’s appeal is partly that, as a monkey, he is able to do many things young children wish they could do; his disobedience can serve as a humorous example of what not to do while providing excitement and adventure.  And at the end of the day, the Man with the Yellow Hat is always there to bail him out in the nick of time.

In this story, George’s troubles begin when the Man with the Yellow Hat leaves him at home, admonishing him not to get into trouble; George receives a letter which he cannot read; then he attempts to write a letter, spills the ink, fills the room with soap and water in an attempt to clean it up, then makes off for the country to swipe a pump to empty the room.  He releases a herd of pigs and steals a cow to tow the pump away, then flees the farmers by stowing away on a pickup truck headed for the museum.  There he wrecks a dinosaur exhibit and is about to be carted off to the dreaded zoo when the Man with the Yellow hat arrives to explain everything.  It turns out the director of the museum is the author of the letter that began George’s troubles, and the letter invites him to become the first monkey to go into space.  George agrees, all is forgiven, and he receives a medal for his courageous participation in the space program.

All of the original Curious George books are good, but like many other classic children’s books, this one has a number of poor-quality sequels.  I recommend only the original seven.

Frog On His Own (Boy, Dog, Frog)

Mercer Mayer. Puffin 1993, Paperback, 32 pages, $57.44

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In this book a boy goes to the park with his pet dog and frog, leaves the frog alond to find whatever trouble he can.  The frog flicks out his tongue to catch an insect, which turns out to be a bee.  He disturbs a young couple’s picnic, sinks a young boy’s toy boat (retrieved by his annoyed mother), and joins a baby in its crib (swiping a sip of its bottle).  This is a kind of visual comedy perfect for young children, and simple enough that after a parent helps with interpretation the first time, it may be fully enjoyed alone.