by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 20, 2010

There's Christmas trees at a Christmas Tree farm - and the man with the yellow hat wants to take one home.

In 2006, Hougton Mifflin came up with a festive new story for Curious George. He visits the tree farm with his yellow-hatted friend, where he's distracted by by all the choices. He swings from one tree to the next, with a smile on his face. "How many Christmas trees could there be?

"George was curious..."

I love the illustrations, which re-create the original style of the first Curious George books. And there's lots of evergreen trees in the backgrounds, which make the book feel extra-Christmasy. "George could not resist climbing up the tallest tree to get a better view," the story notes - and in the illustration he looks delighted to find it. But the book is also off on its first twist, since that tree is suddenly chopped and loaded onto a truck for the children's hospital.

It's always fun to see the realistic drawings - with the smiling monkey right in the middle of things. At the hospital there's wheelchairs, an orderly with a mop...and a tiny monkey hopping out of the evergreen tree. And soon he's sitting on the desk of a nurse, dangling the X-rays of a boy in a wheelchair. Soon there's two nurses in white uniforms - and a monkey in a white labcoat, bouncing up on the bed.

But the monkey ultimately does a very sweet thing. He's delighted to spot "his" tree again - now set up in an empty corner. But it doesn't have tinsel or ornaments or lights, so George helpfully decorates it himself. It's one of my favorite drawings in the book, since his decorations include a stethoscope, an X-ray, and two crutches!

George thought he'd make the packages even prettier by rearranging their bows - and their name tags - and soon he's being scolded by one of the nurses. In the next drawing she's escorting him away, holding the now-frowning monkey under her arm. But then there's what can only be described as a spontaneous outbreak of Christmas cheer. "All the children strated chattering and laughing as they looked at George's funny decorations."

Soon George - and the nurse - are smiling - and George gets to help decorate the tree again. He climbs through the branches with Christmas lights, and even juggles the Christmas tree ornaments. Just then, the man with the yellow hat burst through the door with a big smile on his face.

And just when things couldn't get any happier - Santa arrives!

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