Curious George Gets a Medal — H.A. Rey

Can a chimp become a champ? “Children will welcome with great delight this fourth book about the engaging little monkey.” -- The Horn Book
 
When George gets a letter from the mailman, he's definitely excited about it -- but monkeys can't read! He decides to write a reply but winds up spilling ink all over the floor. Trying to clean it up puts him in bubbles of trouble -- and that's not the least of his worries. It takes a series of misadventures for George to discover that the letter came from a scientist who wants George to become the first monkey in space -- and he's just curious enough to do it!