Curious George Goes To A Costume Party

George and the man with the yellow hat arrive at a Halloween party-but they aren't wearing costumes. No matter-there are plenty in an old trunk upstairs, and soon George is trying on all kinds of outfits. But when he wants to look in the mirror, George finds he has to jump on the bed. Downstairs, the partygoers begin to hear noises. Then the lights go out and they hear a crash! Uh-oh. Did someone say the word ghost? Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal ea. vol: adapt. illus. CIP. Houghton. 1986. PLB $8.95; pap. $2.95. PreSGrade 2 No doubt that those children who love the original ``Curious George'' titles (Houghton) will choose to read these booksbut they will surely be disappointed. The text, adapted from a film series, is trite. The plots are slight and lack the richness of language found in the orignal titles. The illustrations seem to be blurry prints of some of the film frames. Even the layout of the text with the illustrations is stagnant. In each of the four books, George is confronted with a problem of singular dimension that he resolves as a result of his curiosity. Children who are just beginning to read about this inquisitive primate will be best served by the many ``original'' titles still in print; the language in them is more stimulating, the plots more satisfying, and the illustrations and layout more interesting. Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, Iowa Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. About the Author Hans Augusto Rey was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1898. As a child, he spent much of his free time in that city's famous Hagenbeck Zoo drawing animals. After serving in the army during World War I, he married Margret Rey and they moved to Montmartre for four years. The manuscript for the first Curious George books was one of the few items the Reys carried with them on their bicycles when they escaped from Paris in 1940. Eventually, they made their way to the United States, and Curious George was published in 1941. Curious George has been published in numerous languages. And many, many Curious George books have followed.