| |
|
|
MONKEY SEE
Curious George fights the Nazis
BY BILL JENSEN
|
|
|
|
|
He’s gotten stoned by sniffing ether and been hassled by countless cops. But children’s literature’s most-rebellious monkey might never have been born had he not flung poo at the Nazis while escaping on the back of a bicycle in 1939. Hans and Margret Rey, German-born Jews, carried all they could as they fled to the South of France on two bikes made of spare parts — including a manuscript about a monkey named Fifi. The Reys eventually settled in Cambridge, Fifi’s name was changed to George, and the rest is history, as recounted in Louise Borden’s new book The Journey That Saved Curious George (Houghton Mifflin), the centerpiece of this week’s "Curious George Day in Boston" at the Boston Public Library. "Everyone knew about their escape and flight, but no one knew the details," says Borden, who traced the footsteps of the Reys in France. But the big question is, does the Man with the Yellow Hat represent some sort of savior from the Nazi regime? Borden doesn’t think so. But a monkey can dream. Louise Borden will appear atBoston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, on September 17, from 1 to 4 pm, 617.536.5400.
|
