For
Kids Curious About George Kids
have been curious about Curious George literally for
generations. He's been around for over 60 years, yet he
still captures the hearts of little ones. Besides the many
books starring the little monkey, there are software games
featuring his adventures, toys galore, Curious George-themed
nursery sets, and Brio (the makers of popular wooden train
sets) has even produced a new Curious George line of toy
trains. |
Curious George Holds a Bunny
Rey, H.A. & Margret E.
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
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Why
does Curious George still continue to delight children and
their parents, after so many years? Perhaps it has to do
with the fact that he is so "predictably"
unpredictable. Kids always know that when The Man With The
Yellow Hat leaves him on his own, the good-hearted but
too-curious monkey will land himself in some kind of serious
mischief. It's the kind of mischief that children
(hopefully) know they absolutely cannot make.
Curious
George Books
Curious George
has been "in print" for over 60 years, so there is no
shortage of books starring the little monkey. To celebrate
his 60th Anniversary, a special edition entitled The Complete
Adventures of Curious George was published.  This book collects
seven classic stories together in one volume. Kids can follow
George in his many adventures, from his very first to his trip to
the hospital; while adults can enjoy the chapters devoted to a
biography of the authors, Margaret and H. A. Rey. A photo album is
also included.
It is
important to note that these stories were written in different
times, and they don't always reflect the values of today. For
example, George is introduced to he Man With The Yellow Hat when
he essentially gets kidnapped by him! Also, George does some
pretty wild things, and he always ends up a star for all his
misbehavior. You are unlikely to find these kinds of themes in
recently-published children's literature.
Also, keep in
mind that because this is essentially a collector's edition, it is
not as easy to read as the individual books.
[For more information, or to buy:
The Complete Adventures of Curious George
at Amazon.com]
 Although the
"old" adventures of Curious George are certainly
charming, it doesn't hurt that some new ones are now available.
Five new stories, collected together in a volume entitled New
Adventures of Curious George, were not written and illustrated
by the Reys, but they feature the same types of adventures with
slightly more modern settings.
[For more
information, user reviews, or to buy New Adventures of Curious George
at Amazon.com ]
Curious
George Software
Curious
George for the PC, released in 2006, is based on the
animated film. It's a classic video game, and is rich in colors
and gameplay. However, keep in mind that it's a real
challenge--not for the young ones.
[For more information,
user reviews, or to buy:
Curious George
at Amazon.com]
 A truly
innovative and exciting program for children to experiment and
solve problems is Curious George Downtown Adventure. This
program is fantastic! Children move Curious George through various
milieus by positioning parts (like trampolines and balls) on the
screen--effectively, they are building contraptions. Experimenting
is a must. This title is highly educational as it requires
children to think rather than to simply reinforce academic
concepts.
Get a
"feel" for the game by visiting our screenshot
gallery to view pictures grabbed directly from the
program. Note that the age on the box says 3 and up, but kids
younger than 5 or 6 are unlikely to have the patience to construct
the contraptions. However, for children approximately 5 to 9, this
program is a real brain-builder.
Our rating of
the game: A
[For more information,
user reviews, or to buy:
Curious George Downtown Adventure
at Amazon.com]
Another
Curious George software title is Curious George Reading and Phonics, in
which children follow a story adventure with George as they build
early reading, phonics, and spelling skills. Along the way, they
play cards with their favorite monkey, collect bananas and, more
importantly, pieces of a letter from the Man With the Yellow Hat,
and match letters to letter sounds. There are three levels of
difficulty at which children can play the game, and these
correspond to different reading levels. The program is easygoing
for the most part, but does require some rudimentary keyboard
skills. The graphics are a lovely sight.
Our rating of
the game: B+
[For more
information, or to buy Curious George Reading
at Amazon.com for approximately $19.99 US or less.]
Curious
George Videos
For a change
of pace from the comic-style illustrations of George we're so
familiar with, The Adventures of Curious George and His Friends
is a treat. Two Curious George stories are featured--the narration
is verbatim, and the animation is "claymation"-style.
Also included in the video are two storybook adaptations we seldom
see on video--Morris the Moose and Frog and Toad. This video
is pleasant and longer than most.
[For more information,
user reviews, or to buy:
Adventures of Curious George
at Amazon.com]
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