Furious George: A Cautionary Tale for Children

In 1940 M.U. and Ima Chwizer fled the Nazi occupation with a manuscript and sketches that would ultimately become the beloved children’s classic Curious George. Like many famous fairy tales, however, the original was far darker than the book children know today.

This was the story of a monkey who led his tribe to self-destruction. His followers never abandoned him even though he sent them to their doom. The Chwizers’ publishers demanded a complete rewrite and new illustrations. By the time it was published, Curious George retained nothing but a (much thinner) monkey and the man in the black–now yellow–hat, and the author’s published under the psuedonym H.A. Rey.

The original version might be a historical curiosity if the illustrations of George didn’t bear an uncanny resemblance to a young developer named Donald Trump. The family acquired the early version and buried it. Fortunately for readers, Too Bright Girls managed to recover and restore the original and, after several lawsuits, is proud to release:

Furious George: A Cautionary Tale for Children.