PBS has a daily cartoon series based on the Curious George books by H.A. & Margret Rey. Curious George television series is geared toward preschoolers, an age group that definitely can identify with him and his adventures.

Curious George presents kids with a lot of science and math concepts. They are presented through discovery and storytelling, rather than using graphics or specifically showing numbers, etc. For example, George accidentally knocks some hard hats into a deep hole. He's been told not to go into the hole, but he needs to retrieve them. Through trial and error, he discovers he can fill the hole with water and the hats float to the top. This is how most episodes play out: George needs to accomplish a task and, through trial and error, he comes up with a solution.

My favorite character in the series is The Man With The Yellow Hat. The writers of the series sneak in a lot of jokes about him being a little odd with all the yellow and about him not having a name. They're jokes that fly right past little kids, but have Elliot's dad and me laughing out loud. For example, George is in the department store with The Man, who is returning a pair of yellow boxers because, "After only one washing, they turned saffron. I have a big speech to give and I have to know that my shorts are yellow."

The Man is also very supportive of George. He doesn't get mad at George for making mistakes. He either gently reminds George of the rules or asks questions to help George figure out what to do. George gets in trouble just like any preschooler does, but The Man usually responds by finding a similar activity for George that is acceptable. He's very patient.

The series has created a love in Elliot for the Curious George character, which translates to all of his books. This is one instance where I like the television show better than the books. In the books, people often get mad at George and chase him or holler at him when he does something wrong (simply out of curiosity). The books seem to teach that it's okay to mess up as long as you can make up for it in some other way. I prefer the message from the television show, which is less about getting into trouble and more about the joy of discovery.

Another quick note: I don't know much about music, but this series is filled with original compositions--mostly jazzy music--that are quite pleasing.

PBSKids.org has a Curious George website with some games and printable coloring pages.

I'm so happy that Elliot loves watching Curious George. Honestly, it is the ONLY thing she watches (except for the occasional viewing of Cinderella or TinkerBell). Her dad and I usually sit and watch with her, even if we've already seen the episode. They are just so darn good!

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