by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 14, 2010

H.A. Rey had been dead for 26 years, but in 2003 Houghton Mifflin somehow delivered yet another book about Curious George. The book was "Illustrated in the style of H.A. Rey," the title page explains, though the illustrations were actually provided by Martha A. Weston. There's no author given for the book - though Amazon attributes it to Margaret Rey. But this seems unlikely, since Margaret Rey died seven years earlier, in 1996, at the age of 90.

But can this book still deliver the spirit of the curious little monkey? It begins when the man with the yellow hat reveals that "he has a surprise planned and lots to do to get ready." George promises to behave, but then spots an ice cream truck on his street. And soon he's forgotten about his promise, and is rummaging mischievously through the party supplies that were mysteriously left in the house...

But on the next page, there's a nice homage to the original "Curious George" stories. George has decided to re-decorate the house, and uses the streamers and colored tissue to build a colorful jungle! It reminds me of the earlier story where he painted a jungle on the walls when some housepainters weren't looking. This illustration is just as funny - though it's not quite as mischievous if he's doing it in his own house!

There's a cake in the kitchen, but George decides that it needs frosting. His intentions are good, and he's very careful while mixing ingredients with the blender. But one wrong button finds the blender mixing faster and faster. Soon it's splattering the walls with pink frosting - while the monkey looks at the mess with surprise and embarrassment.

Any child will recognize the trouble that the monkey's in - he's made a mess in the kitchen! But it's not as dramatic as the monkey's earlier misadventures - and it doesn't escalate into a spectacular finish. George solves the problem of the messy kitchen by simply letting the neighborhood dogs in for a treat. And then it's revealed that the party supplies were for him, and a roomful of happy children celebrate him as the man with the yellow hat delivers a cake filled with candles.

The story's a bit more "domestic" than the ones I remember. Gone are the cross-city hijinx., replaced by a mess in the kitchen.  Still, no parent would complain about the cheerful tone, and a story that ends with a happy birthday party.  And I'd say the story stays true to the monkey's character - even if this time his misadventures just aren't quite as exciting.

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