Curious George Cottage
Encyclopedia
Curious George Cottage was the summer home of H.A. Rey and Margret Rey
, creators of the Curious George
series of children’s books, located in Waterville Valley
, New Hampshire
.
The Reys first came to Waterville Valley in the 1950s. Hans was revising his popular astronomy
book The Stars: A New Way to See Them and needed a place away from the glare of city lights to do observation. Waterville Valley, an "inland island" surrounded by hundreds of acres of national forest
, was the perfect location for stargazing and the many outdoor activities the Reys loved. They spent the next twenty summers there, and wrote several Curious George stories while in Waterville Valley.
The Reys’ cottage soon became an intellectual center for the town, hosting book clubs, discussion groups, and the opportunity to watch a children's author at work. Hans was known for his chalk talks, in which he would entertain visitors as he drew. Well-behaved children got to take a drawing home with them. At other times, he would take local children on nature walks, which often included conversations with imaginary people, thanks to his ability to throw his voice.
After the Reys died, the cottage was donated to the town of Waterville Valley. It is now managed by the Margret and H.A. Rey Center, dedicated to providing educational and recreational programs for children and families, including nature walks, literary groups, writers workshops, discussion clubs, a monthly lecture series, art shows, and activities for children. The center hosts regular astronomy nights under the same dark skies that first drew Hans Rey to the valley. All activities are open to the public.
Margret Rey
Margret Elizabeth Rey , born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein, was , the co-author and illustrator of children's books, the most famous of which are the Curious George series....
, creators of the Curious George
Curious George
Curious George is the protagonist of a series of popular children's books by the same name, written by Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey. The books feature a curious brown monkey named George, who is brought from his home in Africa by "The Man with The Yellow Hat" to live with him in a big city.When...
series of children’s books, located in Waterville Valley
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
Waterville Valley is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 247 at the 2010 census.Waterville Valley attracts many visitors in the winter months with alpine skiing at Waterville Valley Resort and many miles of trails for cross-country skiing. During the summer,...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
The Reys first came to Waterville Valley in the 1950s. Hans was revising his popular astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
book The Stars: A New Way to See Them and needed a place away from the glare of city lights to do observation. Waterville Valley, an "inland island" surrounded by hundreds of acres of national forest
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
, was the perfect location for stargazing and the many outdoor activities the Reys loved. They spent the next twenty summers there, and wrote several Curious George stories while in Waterville Valley.
The Reys’ cottage soon became an intellectual center for the town, hosting book clubs, discussion groups, and the opportunity to watch a children's author at work. Hans was known for his chalk talks, in which he would entertain visitors as he drew. Well-behaved children got to take a drawing home with them. At other times, he would take local children on nature walks, which often included conversations with imaginary people, thanks to his ability to throw his voice.
After the Reys died, the cottage was donated to the town of Waterville Valley. It is now managed by the Margret and H.A. Rey Center, dedicated to providing educational and recreational programs for children and families, including nature walks, literary groups, writers workshops, discussion clubs, a monthly lecture series, art shows, and activities for children. The center hosts regular astronomy nights under the same dark skies that first drew Hans Rey to the valley. All activities are open to the public.