Rating: 
Summary: I hate Curious George!
Review: 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!
Rating: 
Summary: great, but not for my child!
Review: H.A. Ray's first book, Curious George receives a bedazzling 9/10 stars. The storyline or plot was one that I would have expected from an accomplished author such as John Grisham, or Clancy. H.A. Ray's illustrations are part of what makes this book so great. He definitely makes George (the monkey) look both real and curious at the same time. This funny book is recommended for any child between the ages of five and nine. Since I am saying such wondrous things about this book, you may be wondering, why it received 9 stars. Well the answer is that it has a page in the book which may put bad ideas into the minds of children. There is a page, where George smokes a pipe. But other than that, it was a great book.
This book is about a curious monkey, stolen from Africa by a man in a big yellow hat. The man calls him "George". George was filled with curiosity. Immediately, he expresses his curiosity by thinking he can fly, and jumping off a boat. Later, he sees a man dialing numbers on a phone, George must try it. So when he dials, he dials the number 911 and accidentally calls the Fire Department. And as we all thought that that was enough, the author puts a dazzling twist in there, and he puts George in jail. When finally George escapes, he finds a man selling balloons, he must have one. So he grabs a few, and up he goes with the balloons. See, now that was only the part about curiosity, imagine how funny the whole book would be!
H.A. Ray's style in making this book was kind of cartoon-like. His illustrations greatly resemble that in a newspaper. His choice of words greatly resembles that in a newspaper cartoon. The comedy in this book greatly resembles that in a newspaper cartoon. But, even a cartoonist can put a moral into a story. The moral in this particular story was to be curious, but not too curious. Because after all, Curiosity killed the cat.
Rating:
Summary: A curious classic
Review: H.A. Rey's "Curious George" is, without a doubt, a classic children's book which still has great appeal. But the book has certain unsettling elements which may bother both parents and children. The simple text and colorful pictures tell the story of George, a lovable and mischievous monkey who is abducted in Africa and taken to live in a far-off land. The opening sequence--with George bagged and immobilized prior to being shipped off--sets the tone for some of the disturbing images to follow. George nearly drowning, George imprisoned--rarely have the heroes of children's books been subjected to such frightening treatment. The whole moral issue of the illegal animal trade is ignored. Parents will also probably not appreciate episodes in which George smokes a pipe and engages in other unhealthy or foolish activities. Despite these problematic aspects to the book, George is an undeniably appealing character, and the marvelous illustrations really bring him to life. Furthermore, the final section of the book is a real triumph of artistry and imagination. In a way, the curious primate is a precursor to Bart Simpson and other troublemaking heroes of later books and TV shows. My advice? Buy the book. Read it and enjoy it with your favorite child. But be prepared, in an age-appropriate manner, to frankly discuss some of the troublesome aspects of the book with your child.
Rating:
Summary: Made me physically ill to read this book.
Review: How anyone could like this book is really beyond me. This book should stay a relic of the past. My 4 year old picked this book out at the library and I read it to her. I really didn't remember the story. I was sick. Little George is kidnapped just because some man took a fancy to him, put in a bag and tied up and taken half way around the world to be imprisoned in a zoo?! How horrible. How can you explain to a little child about being tied up in a sack, first of all? Also, he goes to JAIL for making mistake by summoning the fire dept in error? This is also terrifying. Oh yes, he smokes too, but that seems to be the least of all of the horrors. Just because it's old doesn't mean its good.
Rating:
Summary: Made me physically ill to read this book.
Review: How anyone could like this book is really beyond me. This book should stay a relic of the past. My 4 year old picked this book out at the library and I read it to her. I really didn't remember the story. I was sick. Little George is kidnapped just because some man took a fancy to him, put in a bag and tied up and taken half way around the world to be imprisoned in a zoo?! How horrible. How can you explain to a little child about being tied up in a sack, first of all? Also, he goes to JAIL for making mistake by summoning the fire dept in error? This is also terrifying. Oh yes, he smokes too, but that seems to be the least of all of the horrors. Just because it's old doesn't mean its good.
Rating:
Summary: Have to agree with Jennifer Rogers . . .
Review: I picked up this book recently to read to my 2-year-old and was shocked at the underlying negativity. How a cute little monkey is ripped from his family and homeland and tries to acclimate unsuccessfully to his new surroundings resonates uncomfortably with the accounts of African slave experiences. This is not entertaining by any means, and I think it would give a child nightmares. Not recommended.
Rating:
Summary: This monkey sure will be around for a long time
Review: I read a funny book about a cute monkey, it was called Curious George. This book was written by H.A. Rey. George is a monkey who is funny but pratical also. If there is trouble you probably would know George had something to do with it. Curious George is one of my favorite characters because he means well but he just like to get in trouble. The other character I like is the man in the yellow hat because he is the guy who takes care of George and when George does something this man makes him apologize to the people. I like all the Curious George books but this one is special. This one is special because George tries to be on the Fire Department. In the book George helps people but ends up doing it wrong. George learns his lesson by going to the prison. When he escapes he goes to the balloon guy and takes them from him. When George comes down he sees the man in the yellow hat and that the man had paid for the balloons and went home. This is why George is funny in many ways.
Rating:
Summary: great choice
Review: In this book curious george goes on an adventure and gets into a little bit of trouble, as always! Read this book and get lost in the journey with the man in the yellow hat, george, and many other unsuspecting people in this book, I like it!
Rating:
Summary: Curiously different than I remembered
Review: My husband and I both loved this book as kids, so we were really excited to get it for our toddler. After two readings, the book has been consigned to the closet shelf (I've got quite a little library going up there). I'm not sure what happened to the sweet, funny story that I remembered reading as a child. Instead, George is stolen from where he belongs, with his mother (always a good topic at bedtime!) and then, faced with a strange new world in which he doesn't fit in, manages to get into a lot of trouble with people who don't understand why a monkey doesn't function well in western human society. A real laugh-a-minute, let me tell you. Not to mention explaining why George is arrested for a mistake, smoking and walking on power lines (or maybe they're telephone cables, I can't tell and neither can a child). This is not the kind of thing I want to read to my kids -- ever. I know that mine is not a popular viewpoint and I do think the other George stories have lasted better. But I don't think the fact that this book is a "classic" means we should continue to teach its outdated lessons to our kids. After all, "Little Black Sambo" was once considered a classic, but I'm glad my parents spared me. If you must read a George book to your child, pick a different one.
Rating:
Summary: great choice
Review: Nothing is sacred to the spectre of political correctness, so the negative reviews of "Curious George" shouldn't surprise me. The reviews likening George's story to the African slave trade are particularly puzzling: children do not think in those terms. I suggest that the folks who complain that it glorifies illegal animal trade read it more closely. George makes a lot of innocent mistakes, he doesn't mean to be bad, but the world is too fascinating for him to resist. He needs to have an authority figure looking out for him, and although he does try to get around the authority figure everyone knows the man with the yellow hat will save George from himself in the end. Yes, George is a monkey, but he is also a metophor for children everywhere. Every child in the world can relate to George, and that is why the books have remained popular for so long. I loved Curious George as a child, and I am happy that my children love them as much as I do. If any book in the 4-8 age bracket deserves 5 stars it is Curious George.
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