''Curious George Learns the Alphabet'' is a children's book written and illustrated by
Margret Rey
Margret Elizabeth Rey (born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein; May 16, 1906 – December 21, 1996) was a German-born American writer and illustrator, known best for the ''Curious George'' series of children's picture books that she and her husband H. ...
and
H. A. Rey
Hans Augusto (H.A.) Rey (né Reyersbach; September 16, 1898 – August 26, 1977) was a German-born American illustrator and author, known best for the ''Curious George'' series of children's picture books that he and his wife Margret Rey create ...
and published by
Houghton Mifflin
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
in
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
. It is the sixth book in the original
Curious George series.
Plot
George curiously looks at the little black marks, dots, and lines in the Man with the Yellow Hat's books, and starts tearing some pages. When the Man returns, he pushes George around scolding him. If George wants to read a story, he first has to know the letters of the alphabet. The man then sets up a pad and begins to write each of the letters from the alphabet as well as drawing a picture for each letter (capital and lowercase letter) of the alphabet, correlating to the letter each individual picture starts with.
* An
Alligator
An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...
is in the form of a big A, and a piece of an
apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
(an apple slice) is in the form of a small a.
* A blue
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
with feet on it, a tail, and a Bill is in the form of a big B, and a
bee is in the form of a small b buzzing around a blossom.
* A big
Crab is in the form of a big C with a shell, feet, and two Claws. A small crab is in the form of a small c, which looks like the big C, except smaller.
The man tells George he now has three letters: A, B, and C. With three letters, George can make a word, the first word he can read himself: cab. George knows what a cab is since the man once took him for a ride in a cab. The man and George then draw the next few letters.
* A
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
is in the form of a big D and a
dromedary
The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'' or ;), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel, or one-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate, of the genus ''Camelus'', with one hump on its back.
It is the tallest of the three species of ...
, which is a
camel (also known as the
Arabian camel
The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'' or ;), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel, or one-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate, of the genus ''Camelus'', with one hump on its back.
It is the tallest of the three species of ...
) with one hump, is in the form of a small d.
* An
Elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
is in the form of a big E eating his evening meal:
Eggplants
Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.
Mo ...
. The
ear
An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...
of a man, or the ear of a monkey is in the form of a small e.
* A
Fireman
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
Fighting a Fire is in the form a big F and a
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
is in the form of a small f. (George's friend was fond of flowers, even though George preferred food.)
* A
Goose
A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...
is in the form of a big G, and a
goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have bec ...
is in the form of a small g. The name George also starts with the letter G.
After learning seven letters, the man writes the words that make up these letters down: Dad, Ed, bad, bag, cage, bed, and feed. The man then tells George to read them while he gets him his lunch. However, when the man comes back with George's lunch, he unpleasantly catches George wearing the alphabet chart around his neck. When he sees George's mischief, the man (despite impressed about the seven real words George had made) scolds George. The man says that even though George knows these words, the only word he also can read is "bad". The man then decides they've had enough for one morning. He will feed George now and let him take his nap, before they go on with the letters.
* A
House is in the form of a big H and a
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
eating heaps of hay is in the form of a small h.
* An
Icicle
An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water falling from an object freezes.
Formation and dynamics
Icicles can form during bright, sunny, but subfreezing weather, when ice or snow melted by sunlight or some other heat source (such a ...
is in the form of a big I, and an
iguana
''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his ...
is in the form of a small i.
* A
Jaguar is in the form of a big J living in the Jungle, where George formerly lived. A
jack-in-the-box
A jack-in-the-box is a children's toy that outwardly consists of a box with a crank. When the crank is turned, a music box mechanism in the toy plays a melody. After the crank has been turned a sufficient number of times (such as at the end ...
is in the form of a small j in which George used to make it jump.
* A big
Kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...
named Katy is in the form of a big K and a small kangaroo, who is Katy's kid, is in the form of a small k.
* A
Lion is in the form of a small L (with a Leg of
Lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
for Lunch) and a lean lady is in the form of a small l strolling along a lake licking a
lollipop
A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker, sticky-pop, etc. Lollipops are ava ...
.
* A
Mailman named Mr. Miller bringing a letter is in the form of a big M, and a
mouse munching mints is in the form of a small m.
The man tells George that M is the 13th letter of the alphabet, which means that they are halfway through. The man gives George a pad of paper and a pencil to list some words that use the first 13 letters. George started to think of words, and then he wrote them down and shows them to the man. Though he is quite impressed with the real words (ball, milk, cake, ham, jam, egg, lime, feed, and kid), the man gets confused at the gibberish words (dalg, glidj, and blimlimlim). He scolds George for the gibberish words because are no such words and any letters put together do not make just any kind of words. George and the man then begin to look at the other half of the alphabet.
* A
Napkin
A napkin, serviette or face towelette is a square of cloth or paper tissue used at the table for wiping the mouth and fingers while eating. It is usually small and folded, sometimes in intricate designs and shapes.
Etymology and terminology
...
is in the form of a big N standing on a dinner plate that looks Neat, a
nose
A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes ...
is in the form of a small n in the face of a man who wears a new blue necktie and nibbles noodles.
* A big
Ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There ...
is in the form of a big O, and a small ostrich is in the form of a small o. (Ostriches eat odd objects, especially tried a bugle that belonged to George--example, there's the ostrich in
Curious George Rides a Bike
''Curious George Rides a Bike'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Margret Rey and H. A. Rey and published by Houghton Mifflin in 1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo ...
.)
* A big
Penguin is in the form of a big P, and a small penguin is in the form of a small p.
* A
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
is in the form of a small Q. A
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
is in the form of a small q. A quarterback is supposed to be quick, so is George quick.
The man tells George to get his football. He then says that it will do George good to play for a short period of time before they go on with the letters.
* A
Rabbit is in the form of a big R with a radish, a
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
is in the form of a small r.
* A big
Snail
A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class G ...
is in the form of a big S, and a small snail is in the form of a small s.
* A
Table
Table may refer to:
* Table (furniture), a piece of furniture with a flat surface and one or more legs
* Table (landform), a flat area of land
* Table (information), a data arrangement with rows and columns
* Table (database), how the table data ...
is in the form of a big T set for a Tea for Two (George did not care for Tea, but liked Toast), and a
tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...
is in the form of a small t.
The man tells George that it is snack time. He gives George a note to run over to the baker and hand him the note and to come right back with one dozen doughnuts without any tricks. George curiously looks at the note the man had written and tries to outsmart his plan by changing the word "one" to "ten." Then, he goes over to the bakery to request ten dozen doughnuts to the baker. The baker, unaware that the note originally and specifically said "one dozen", says that an extra-large bag is needed for ten dozen doughnuts. It may be a lot of doughnuts (except maybe for an extremely big dougnut party), but that is what the note said. George brings the bag of ten dozen (120) doughnuts home, opens the bag and dumps them out onto the floor. When the man unpleasantly catches George dumping all the doughnuts down to the floor and sees that the note has been changed, he sternly scolds him and says that it must be what he (himself) gets for teaching the alphabet to a little monkey. The man tells George he cannot eat any doughnuts right now and to put them back in the bag, so that they will finish the alphabet. As a result, snack time is postponed until the after the alphabet is finished.
* A big
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally use ...
standing Upright is in the form of a big U and a small umbrella is in the form of a small u. The umbrella handle also looks like the letter U.
* A big
Valentine is in the form of a big V, and a small valentine is in the form of a small v. George loved valentines. He got several valentine cards every year, especially from Nevada.
*
Whiskers
Vibrissae (; singular: vibrissa; ), more generally called Whiskers, are a type of stiff, functional hair used by mammals to sense their environment. These hairs are finely specialised for this purpose, whereas other types of hair are coarse ...
, big ones and small ones, are in the form of a big W and small w, found on
walruses
The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the fami ...
,
cats, and some men. George does not have whiskers but he was curious how would look if he did.
* The big X and the small x look alike, only one is big and one is small, just some of the other letters (such as W, V, U, S, etc.). Since there are only a few words that start with the letter X, neither of them look like the letter X, except for
X-mas. Santa stands for Xmas. Since there is only one Santa, George and the man need only one picture. As a result, the big X and the small x are both for Xmas.
* A big
Yak is in the form of a big Y, a small, young yak is in the form of a small y in Tibet.
* A big
Zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...
is in the form of a big Z, and a small zebra is in the form of a small z. The zebras are zipping along with zest.
Since Z is the last letter of the alphabet, the man tells George that he now knows all 26 letters of the alphabet, and now he may have the doughnuts. At the last page, the story ends when George (before eating some doughnuts) takes most of the doughnuts and spells out "THE END."
Error: Jaguars live in the jungles of Central and South America. George, however, lived in the jungle of Africa.
{{Curious George
1963 children's books
American picture books
Alphabet books
Curious George
Houghton Mifflin books