H. A. Rey created one of the most memorable characters in children's literature:

Skip the movie tie-ins and "new adventure" stories and go straight for the original Curious George books, by H.A. Rey and his wife Margret Rey:

Curious George Goes to the Hospital. Remains a great way to make a hospital less mysterious or scary for kids.

Curious George Rides a Bike. Hijinks ensue.

Curious George Learns the Alphabet. Not your typical ABC's book.

Curious George Flies a Kite. My personal favorite because this is the one we owned when I was a kid.

There's also the book that first introduced Curious George:
Cecily G and the Nine Monkeys

George is so fun because most children related to being "curious little monkeys." His adventures all seem perfectly plausible to children (based on misunderstandings or one thing simply leading to another).

Amazon has a nice slipcase set of the Curious George Classic Collection which includes the seven original books.

If you see a book about Curious George titled something like "Margret and H.A. Rey's" that means it's a newer release. We tend to avoid these because they're not as fun to read.

Another favorite in our house was illustrated by Rey, but not written by him:

 Katy No-Pocket is a great addition to a study of Australia.

Then there are H A Rey's nonfiction books, which make great additions to an astronomy unit study:

The Stars: A New Way to See Them

Find The Constellations

The Rey's life story is a fascinating one, worthy of an older child's study. (Escaping from the Nazis on a bicycle constructed from spare parts is just part of the story.)

A book I recommend to middle grade readers about the Reys: The Journey that Saved Curious George.

More sites about the Reys or their work:

• Curious About George?
• Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey from The Jewish Museum
• Curious George printable lapbook and unit study
• Katy No Pocket lapbook and printables

Do you have a favorite book by H A and Margret Rey?