Review of Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle and Back to School with PBS Kids

by Micaela Williamson

We're thinking about Back to School, but Curious George is going back to the jungle in his newest movie, CURIOUS GEORGE 3: BACK TO THE JUNGLE, debuting Monday, August 17 on PBS.  In this new movie, Curious George takes part on a space mission but crash lands in the jungles of Africa. Not impressed with the space teams rescue efforts, the Man with the Yellow at take it upon himself to search for George. As the Man with the Yellow Hat says in the movie, "The jungle is no place for a monkey." (Ha, ha!)

As usual, George never meets a stranger and immediately makes friends with the jungle animals. After he is finally reunited with the Man with the Yellow Hat, the two need to navigate their way out of the jungle. There is a lot of problem solving, often with George being the problem solver instead of the seemingly knowledgeable Man with the Yellow Hat.

There are some cute musical numbers by the Plain White T's.  Parents will also recognize the voice of John Goodman as the goofy head of the space mission, Houston, and Angela Bassett as the African scientist, Dr. Kulinda.

We liked the "can do" and adventurous spirit of Curious George.  In this film, he literally shoots for the stars and although he landed in the unknown, he never gives up, always looks on the positive side, and is never too busy to help others.

My kids and their friends (grades preK-3rd) really enjoyed the film.  Check out CURIOUS GEORGE 3: BACK TO THE JUNGLE premiering on PBS this Monday, August 17 with encore presentations on August 19, 21, 22, 23 (check local listings.)  The DVD is also available for sale in stores and online with a running time of 81 minutes.

Back to School with PBS Kids

If you are shopping for great back to school items, we highly recommend the new line of responsibly sourced back to school products by PBS KIDS® & Whole Foods Market®.  As a teacher, I plan on using the new PBS KIDS Butterfly tote for my own lunch (it's not just for kids!,) and I love how it is made of organic cotton, has a velcro cooler pack, and is machine washable.  My kids are excited about the bold colored notebooks and folders offered in this line.  Plus, all the proceeds PBS KIDS receives goes directly to support its mission of providing the highest-quality programming and educational outreach for kids so you can feel good about giving back.  The products are available at Whole Foods and also online at the Official PBS Kids Shop.

I am a PBS KIDS VIP (Very Important Parent) and received the movie and products for review for the purpose of this article. No other compensation was received.  I believe in publicizing the mission of PBS KIDS and their dedication to quality, educational children's television. All opinions are my own.