Customer Reviews

Curious George Goes to the Hospital (Curious George - Level 1)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

How can you not LOVE Curious George? He brings back such wonderful memories of my youth and the youth of my son.

I actually purchased this book for my son. I read it to him when I was going to be staying at the hospital for more than a month for my very first big surgery. It helped him to not be afraid and to not cry when I was there. I also bought him a curious George doll that he brought with him every single time he visited me. He's no longer afraid of hospitals and my cancer has been in remission for quite a while. I love this book and so does my son...bitter sweet memories for the both of us, but a great teaching tool.

This is without a doubt the best book in the Curious George series. George mistakenly eats a jigsaw puzzle piece, thinking that it might be candy. When his stomach starts to hurt the next morning, the Man in the Yellow Hat takes him to the hospital. What follows is a very detailed account of all the things that a child might expect to encounter while undergoing a simple surgery. George encounters everything from xrays to shots to a somewhat painful recovery as he sets up residence for a couple of days in the children's ward.

There is some excitement toward the end, as George commandeers a go-cart and crashes into a dining cart (in front of the visiting mayor, no less), but the emphasis is definitely on the workings of a hospital from the perspective of a young patient.

As a young child, I enjoyed some of the imagery in this book, such as the jigsaw puzzle and a puppet show that George puts on for the child patients using all four limbs at once. The illustrations are very good as always.

Other books in this series are nothing special, in my opinion, but I thought that this book provided a great example for children who might be worred about a visit to the doctor or hospital. This is a good read for any child, and a must-read for a child with a visit to the hospital in the future.

I think this book is great. In my opinion, it is very educational to youngsters as to what a hospital is like. If you're a small child who is scared to go to the hospital, this is the perfect book for you.

I had this book growing up, and now that I have a child who is obsessed with Curious George due to the PBS TV show, I wanted to share this sweet, simple story with him. Yes, the description of the hospital stay is antiquated, but the overall message stands the test of time - that doctors make you feel better and the hospital need not be scary.

Poor Curious George! His friend, the man with the yellow hat, has bought him a jigsaw puzzle. But when the accident-prone monkey swallows a piece of the puzzle, he must go to the hospital to get the situation remedied.

That's the set-up for "Curious George Goes to the Hospital," by Margret and H.A. Rey. Like the other volumes in the series, the book is enhanced by engaging artwork and a loveable hero. The book could also be used to help decrease children's fears of hospitals.

If the book has a flaw, it's that George continues to engage in disobedient, (unintentionally) destructive, and dangerous antics. And these antics (unlike his swallowing of the puzzle piece) often have no serious consequences. So parents might want to stress to younger readers that all of George's shenanigans are not necessarily fit to be imitated.

Nevertheless, "Curious George Goes to the Hospital" is a delightful book. Adults will appreciate some of the clever details and sight gags that enliven the artwork. And of course, what child can resist George? He's a classic character who has stood the test of time.

I love all the curious George books. Who Doesn't?

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

As a young child this book was my absolute favorite bedtime story. My mother always had to read Curious George to me, in order for me to sleep. Of all his books, Curious George Goes to the Hospital was my favorite. Why? Well some may say it was because of the humor, others the accurate hospital descriptions, but to me it was because I was a little Curious George.

When I was two and a half years old,I stuck maccaroni up my nose and had to go to the hospital - while there, a nurse gave my mother a copy of Curious George Goes to the Hospital. Being a big Curious George fan, I instantly fell in love with the book and the irony that George went to the hospital because he, like me, played with things not meant for certain parts of our body. As a rambunctious toddler, I related with George. He was like me, small, curious, and ever-getting into mischief.

For me, even now, as a 15 year old, Curious George Goes to the Hospital remains my favorite childrens book. In fact, in my acting class, one assignment was to read a children's bokk to the class. Curious George was my choice, and the class loved it.

I hope others will read this book and relate to George like I did and do. No matter how old you are, there is a little Curious George in all of us - and a missing puzzle piece. For me, re-discovering this book soved my puzle.

I was worried that the book would be censored, but it is as I remember it. My favorite part is when that silly little monkey gets tanked on the Ether. Ain't medicine grand?

I remember this book fondly from my own childhood and was happy to get a new copy for my own son. He loves it, of course, but I am sorry to admit that there are a lot better kids books out there than the George series. This one's the best in that it stays with a topic through the whole book.

Gen-X parents should realize that this book was written in 1966 and the material is extremely dated, for instance no doctor makes house calls, no one has a cup of barium before an xray anymore, and certainly the xray machines don't look like big laser guns anymore. These images may frighten more than they instruct.

Beware of getting book club editions of this book, such as from the Scholastic book clubs at school, which are not printed in full color.

This is my favorite Curious George story. I remember it from when I was a child. It's just a cute story I believe anyone would enjoy.