Curious George

I will honestly admit to not being a fan of the story of Curious George.  I will always be thankful that my three children did not discover Curious George, and ask that it be one of the books that we read every single night for several years of nightly reading.  As it was, Big Joe the Truck Driver was tedious enough.  Each child had their favorites, and some were easier to read over and over than others.  I will say that I would have done all that was in my power to avoid reading about Curious George the rascally monkey.

Last night while I was babysitting a very special little girl, she asked me to read her new book.  The new book was none other than a book of EIGHT stories about Curious George and his antics.  I read them without complaint, and yes, I read all EIGHT of the stories.  When we finished the last story, she asked me to read the book again.  I firmly refused.  Once was enough for a lifetime.

Why would I be so adverse to a story line about a very curious monkey?  "Curious George was a good monkey.  Curious George was just a very curious monkey."  I think that I'm not as adverse to the monkey as I am to the "Man in the Yellow Hat."  The man in the yellow hat has a great way of disappearing and leaving Curious George to his curiousities.  The man in the yellow hat is not an attentive care giver, and he leaves that curious monkey to created some creative messes.  Those messes are then cleaned up and taken care of by other people.  The man in the yellow hat needs to practice some adult supervision with the curious monkey.  Granted the messes get cleaned up.  George, the curiousest of the curiousest, is always a hero in the end, but the man in the yellow hat needs to pay attention.

Frankly, my dear, I'm surprised the man in the yellow hat has any friends left.  We've all been around unsupervised children, and by the time they have destroyed everything in sight, we are regretting ever having made aquaintance with the adults in those unsupervised children's lives.  The man in the yellow hat just breezes back into the scene, takes Curious George by the paw/hand, whatever it is that monkeys have, and off they go with no thought to the previous destruction.  As a parent, wouldn't that just be grand to arrive at the home of a "friend" who had kept your children for the day, remark on the incredible destruction, and what heroic brats your children are, then grip them by the hand and off you go?  Oh to be the "Man in the Yellow Hat", and be oblivious to it all.

I continue to NOT be a fan of Curious George, and the Man in the Yellow Hat. 

Cretia