The "I don't like Curious George" comment didn't come from me but a two year old boy who said that from a blog piece back in July of 2006. A mother of that boy tells a very funny but quite poignant story about the wisdom seen in her own two year old son.I liked what what one commenter said about the Curious George piece.Sean has always loved books more than anything, and it is hard to find a book that we don’t have. His bookcase runneth over. He stood facing his bookcase wearing baseball pajamas, studying the contents looking for something new and interesting to jump out at him in much the same posture I assume when standing in front of the refrigerator with the same hopes.
He spent quite some time pulling out books and then shoving them back in, unable to make a decision. “How about Curious George?” I finally asked, pulling out several volumes of the familiar yellow books.
“Not Curious George,” he said in a combination of disinterest and digust, waving me off without bothering to turn around. What? Is Curious George now so yesterday and no one told me?
“No? What’s wrong with Curious George?” I asked wondering who doesn’t like Curious George.
“I don’t like him. He bug me.”
“He bugs you? Why does Curious George bug you?”
“He not beedient,” he said matter-of-factly and without hesitation.
“He’s disobedient?”
“Yeah…”
“Really?”"He not do what he pse to. Bad stuff happens."
I worry about the things that he worries about.
As I left his room after tucking him into bed, I took the Curious George books with me. I sat down and reread them with a fresh set of eyes. And he’s right. Even though things turn out okay in the end, Curious George is disobedient and doesn’t do what he’s supposed to. The man with the yellow hat condones curiosity as an acceptable reason for disobedience. And there are no consequences. Or apologies.
It took a two-year-old to point this out to me and now it bugs me too.
Good for Sean for being a critical thinker! :) I hate Curious George for the same reason. Not only is he not “beedient” — but he always gets *rewarded* for his bad behavior! And I agree with the previous comment about George being taken from the jungle. And the Man with the Yellow Hat didn’t just “find” George — he tricked him into a trap and brought him, presumably, against his will. I’m pretty sure the book says George was scared.Get rewarded for bad behaviors? Where have I heard that before? Or the fact that a primate is just a primate and nothing more and people are making a big deal out of nothing and just want to make waves?
But one parent made a comment in Amazon about Curious George where at the end doesn't make any sense when apathy is the result.
Well, if it's that bad just don't buy or read that book for a two year boy or girl. Don't let apathy stand in the way!First of all, I hate that the explorer kidnaps the monkey out of his natural habitat and puts him in a zoo ("what a nice place to live" . . . yeah, right). Second, I hate having to explain to my 2-year-old son what jail is and why Curious George was put there.
Third, I hate that Curious George always gets rewarded in some way for breaking the rules. This is a recurring "theme" in all the books, and as a parent, I disapprove. In my opinion, it's not okay to feed the ostrich after you've been told not to, and just because you subsequently rescue a baby bear does not make it okay that you broke the rule.
On the other hand, my son adores the whole series!
I figured that since America grew up with the Curious George book series the moral of those stories (or a serious case of lacking any moral) somehow made it into the all the little boys and girls' noggins that somehow molded them into apathetic, hypocrite liberals as we know it today.
Nah.
All this was just funny if you read it from today's perspective. Let's hope those who are reading this blog piece won't get into an apoplectic fit and think twice before responding here. I just find certain parallels funny about Curious George today when it comes to rewarding those with bad behaviors or those who broke the law.
