Curious George Story Stretchers for Preschoolers

Curious George is a long-beloved children’s book about a mischievous monkey. If your children are anything like mine, they will love the antics Curious George displays as he explores his new environment.

Curious George Author and Publisher Information

Curious George was first published in 1941 and was written by H.A. Rey. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, the book has an ISBN number of 978-0-395-15993-4.

Curious George Story Summary

Curious George lives in Africa and we are told he is a good little monkey, though very curious. When the man with the yellow hat comes to Africa, he uses George’s curiosity to catch the monkey, and bring him back to America on a big ship. Curious George gets in trouble by calling the fire station and ends up locked in jail. After escaping from prison he gets lost in the city until he finds the man with the yellow hat, who helps place Curious George in a nice zoo home.

Story Stretching Educational Ideas for Curious George

• Geography – Africa - Curious George lives in Africa. Show your preschooler the continent on a map. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss how different types of animals live in different countries.
• Safety – Water Safety - During the boat ride to America, Curious George tries to fly and falls into the water. The sailors must throw a lifebelt into the water for the monkey to grab onto. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss water safety with your preschooler. Explain that if someone is drowning you never go in after them, but rather throw a floating object to them or hold out a long stick for the person to grab onto.
• Safety – 911 and Emergency Calls – Curious George plays with the telephone and ends up calling the fire department. In the book, he gets in trouble for calling when there wasn’t a fire, however, this is a great chance to explain how 9-1-1 works and how a preschooler can use the phone to call for help in an emergency. More than one parent has been saved by a young child who knew the right buttons to push!
• Flying, Floating and Gravity - In what is my favorite part of the book, Curious George finds himself floating high above the city as he dangles from a bunch of helium balloons. He also tries, earlier in the book, to fly like the seagulls. What a fantastic discussion you can have with your preschooler about helium balloons, hot air balloons, flying and gravity. In our home we “mailed” a postcard using a helium balloon – prestamped and self-addressed – we sent the postcard away tied to the helium balloon. We actually sent out five (one for each member of the family) and received two back. Fun!
• Occupation – Firemen – When Curious George calls the fire department, the firemen rush to their firetrucks and drive to the house to put out the fire. Even preschool children can understand what an important job that is and how firemen put out fires. A discussion about fire safety can be timely as well.

Curious George is a classic children’s story that has a place on every preschooler’s bookshelf. Get your own copy of Curious George on Amazon.com. 

See additional Preschool Story Stretchers you can download and use with your preschooler!

Cover photo from Houghton Mifflin Publishers. 

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