Representatives of NBC Universal, Houghton Mifflin, the Harvard Square Business Association, the City of Cambridge, Harvard University, and the Cambridge community will help two local entrepreneurs, Jamie and Adam Hirsch, bring the world’s favorite monkey back to Harvard Square, along with his book and TV show friends.New store offers an extensive selection of children’s books in a creative space along with uniquely designed merchandise available only through the store and its website
The festivities begin at 11:00am in the Whale Room at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, where children of all ages are encouraged to make unique and colorful banners, signs and hats to be carried during our festive sidewalk procession through the streets of Cambridge. At approximately 11:55am, Toni Bee, Poet Populist of Cambridge will engage the crowd at the library with a reading of one of her poems. Immediately following, at approximately 12:05pm, the group will “parade” from the library through the streets of Harvard Square led by the man of the hour, Curious George, the Man in the Yellow Hat, portrayed by Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s very own Allyn Burrows and our special guest, Dr. Nick Walton from The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
At approximately 12:30pm, the procession will arrive in Harvard Square and gather at 1 JFK Street, where dignitaries, members of the Cambridge community, and lovers of an inquisitive monkey named George, will gather for the gather for the ribbon cutting of The World’s Only Curious George Store – Harvard Square.
Jamie and Adam Hirsch, the owners of the The World’s Only Curious George Store – Harvard Square, hired the design and build out team of NORR Architects, Cornerstone Design, and Wooden Kiwi to revamp the old store. “The signage and facade will be new, and the store will be completely rebuilt to honor the tradition and curious nature of George. As expressed by Peter Dubin, NORR, “our goal was to bring to life many favorite characters from the classic books and acclaimed TV series, while creating a modern and easily navigable space. We hope you love the store!”
The Hirsch’s changed the store’s name to reflect the unique nature of both the store and its products. Said Jamie Hirsch, “We feel blessed by the support provided by both Houghton Mifflin and NBC Universal. With their approval, we felt it was extremely important to name the store precisely what it is: The World’s Only Curious George Store — Harvard Square.” The Hirschs have worked closely with the NBCU licensing and design teams to bring new Curious George themed designs to life and thereby offer several unique product lines.
As shared by Richard Getz, property manager for the store, “We love the energy and fresh perspective the Hirschs have brought.” Megan Johnson, NBC Universal, is also excited about the ecommerce possibilities: “we think the link between the store and its robust website will draw a lot of attention from Curious George fans worldwide.”
From t-shirts, bibs, onesies, and juice cups to other gift ideas, shoppers will find unique merchandise designs available only in this store and on its website. And, of course, much of the store is dedicated to the full line of Curious George books, along with many other favorite children’s book titles.
According to Adam Hirsch, “we are committed to continuously updating our merchandise, and offering products that are relevant to the community and visitors to the Square.” Jamie added, “We view ourselves as caretakers of the Curious George brand, where the store and our website act as additional media to inspire children to learn through Curious George.”
To learn more about the store, and the new products as they are produced, visit www.thecuriousgeorgestore.com and join the store’s loyalty group.
Visitors to Boston should consider taking the Super Tour shuttle, as they are the only Boston tour trip that offers a trolley service into Harvard Square. It stops right across the street from the Curious George store, and all trolley patrons will receive a special incentive to visit.
As Jamie suggests, “Be curious! Stop by, experience the store, and share your thoughts with us.”
About Curious George
Curious George was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941 and for 70 years he has been capturing the hearts and minds of readers young and old throughout the world. All the Curious George books, including the seven original stories by Margret and Hans Rey, have sold over 70 million copies. So popular that his original story has never been out of print, George has become one of the most beloved and most recognizable characters from children’s literature. In addition to the numerous books about his mischievous adventures, Curious George stars in the Emmy®-award winning PBS KIDS television series Curious George and has also starred in two full-length movies, Curious George and Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey! Watch Curious George on PBS KIDS and check out the games and video clips at pbskids.org/curiousgeorge.com. For more information, visit www.curiousgeorge.com or www.facebook.com/curiousgeorge.
About Universal Partnerships & Licensing
UP&L oversees Universal’s consumer product licensing, film and home entertainment promotions, and all corporate alliances for Universal’s theatrical, home entertainment, theme parks and stage productions. This dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the Studio’s vast library of films and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities. UP&L is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment com