Curious George

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Notorious monkey amuses and teaches preschoolers.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that George's curiosity is contagious and will probably encourage preschoolers to explore their surrounding in similar ways.That's great, but it also means that little ones need to be cautioned about certain things George does that may actually be dangerous in real life (even though they're treated with humor on the show). A little parental guidance should steer them in the right direction.

  • The show encourages curiosity, love of learning, and exploring one's surroundings. It also teaches basic math and science concepts.
  • George is blessed with good-natured curiosity, but it often leads to trouble. (In fact, in real life, some of his choices are potentially dangerous.) On the plus side, he's forced to solve his own problems and learn important lessons in the process.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

Based on the classic children's books by Margret and H.A. Rey and narrated by William H. Macy, the animated series CURIOUS GEORGE follows the adventures of the world's most famous monkey, who's notorious for an insatiable curiosity that almost invariably gets him into trouble. With the help and guidance of his best friend and mentor, The Man in the Yellow Hat, and other pals such as Chef Pisghetti, Hundley the dachsund, Gnocchi the cat, Jumpy the squirrel, Professor Wiseman (who runs the Science Museum) and a teenager named Bill, George (voiced by Frank Welker) sets out each day to discover new things -- such as how a clock works or what makes a boat stay afloat -- which often turn into humorous misadventures. Episodes often show George cleverly and systematically solving a problem or mystery; when Chef Pisghetti suspects Gnocchi of scratching up the restaurant seats, George sets about proving Gnocchi's innocence by comparing the length and depth of Gnocchi's scratches on the door to those of the scratches on the seats. Each animated segment is followed by a live-action segment that features real kids exploring an aspect of the story -- such as making and flying a kite (following George's fly-away kite adventure) or visiting a discovery museum to find out how certain devices or machines work.


Is it any good?

 

Witty and clever, the series more than does justice to the beloved books, as George's infectious enthusiasm for exploring the world around him not only amuses tots but also introduces them to math, science, and engineering concepts. The show's scripts are smart and engaging, with the supporting characters providing plenty of humor and many clever twists in the storylines. The animation is sharp and colorful, but classic in the sense that it stays true to the art in the books -- which should please fans. Preschoolers will love following Curious George on his entertaining adventures and learning about the world around them.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about each of George's adventures. What did he explore or discover? What was the result? Did his curiosity get him into trouble in this episode? If so, how did he solve his problem? What did George learn? What did you learn that you didn't know before? What do you think would happen to George in the real world?


This review was written by Larisa Wiseman
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Love it!
My 2 and 4 year-olds love this show. I do wish the animation were more like the original George series, however, the situations, themes, and messages are fantastic! Way to go PBS!

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
September 27, 2010
 
i watched george for a long time and sometimes I watch it for a little bit. It's really funny and i like it.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 3 and 7 year old
March 8, 2010
 
Love Curious George!
What is not to love with Curious George? He is always getting into something....but always comes out learning a lesson or skill. This is a great show for toddlers, because it is very simple and the stories are perfect for a small child. In between the two stories, it includes real kids learning about what Curious George just did. This is perfect because my kids love watching other kids, and it inspires them to be Curious about their world!

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 19 year old
September 28, 2009
 
i find it boring but.....
i find it really boring but kids ages 2-5 will luv it.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
August 12, 2009
 
Very good show for everyone!
It really teaches. It's very good, but consumerism: it's based on a book series. But that's okay because when I am married and have my kid, I Will allow it on my island.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 4 year old
March 19, 2011
 
Really the best show for 2-4 year olds that I've seen.
Brilliant for kids. Entertaining for parents. The narration teaches basic concepts from a 3-year-old perspective.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
August 19, 2009
 
Here's whats terrible
The Man in the Yellow hat spits out his drink.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 5 and 8 year old
April 23, 2011
 
Great show for all kids.
For some reason this show appeals to kids of almost all ages. The narrative style keeps them mesmerized.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
August 16, 2009
 
Great for Everyone!
Teaches little little kids lots of things, teaches to be a good person and learning a lesson and gives you some good role models.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Larisa Wiseman
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

vote now

Will you see Curious George?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it