I know. It’s not nice to judge smokers and it’s a problem I need to work on.
**So I try not to say anything to those who do smoke, blackening their lungs and opening the doors to their bodies for cancer to just waltz right in. (And yes, I know those who have never smoked and still have cancer, so don’t lecture me.)
But at the same time I do not agree with promoting the habit like there is nothing wrong with it.
And I definitely do not condone children’s books slipping it in like there is nothing wrong with a guy sitting in the zoo, picnicking, and puffing on a cigarette.
“Um…huh?” you may be saying to yourself right now.
So here is the back story on this:
Yesterday Hubby and I went out for dinner and afterwards we wandered around a book store, like we used to do when we were dating, and then had some coffee. Unlike when we were dating, me looking at journals I can’t afford, him looking at Star Trek books, this time I scoured (scowered? Crap. I stink at speling spellling spelling.) the children’s section for books to read to Jonathan.
I had already purchased one Curious George book a couple weeks ago and unlike other times when I tried to encourage Jonathan to let me read to him, Jonathan actually paid attention and pointed out characters and objects. Therefore I thought another Curious George book would be a good option.
Jonathan fell asleep before I could read the book to him, thankfully, because while flipping through the pages I noticed this:
“What is so wrong about a family picnicking in the park?” you may ask.
Nothing. Nothing is wrong with a family picnicking in the park.
Nothing unless the father is obviously SMOKING!
Hello? Smoking? In a children’s book?!
“Well, it says this book was adapted from one of the old movies, so it was probably from the 60s or something when they didn’t realize how dangerous nicotine was to a person,” I thought.
I flipped open the front of the book to check. It wasn’t adapted from a 60s film. The copyright said, 1985. What they didn’t know about the dangers of smoking in 1985? Apparently not.
Now, this wasn’t the only thing about the book which offended me. The other offensive part was George rescuing a balloon for a little boy from some monkeys. Some monkeys in a cage. Monkeys like George, imprisoned in a cage. These monkeys were blue and George is brown, but still – how offensive and rude is that? So rude that the Offended Blogger might even like it. But I sure didn’t. How can I tell my son that it is OK for George to be out and running around because he is brown, but apparently it isn’t OK for the blue monkeys to run around the city with a man in a yellow hat?
Wow. Talk about a negative message of inequality.
Needless to say, I have pushed this book to the side to ponder whether or not I should read it to my highly impressionable 20-month old and make it seem like 1) smoking in the zoo, or anywhere is OK or 2) that imprisoning other creatures simply because they have a different color fur is right.
What do you think I should do? If you don’t tell me, I’m going to have to ask the people over at Humor Blogs.com and I’m afraid to even think about what they would tell me to do.
** This is all a joke — the stuff about not liking smokers, etc. You guys know that right? Because some of my best friends are smokers. I mean, come on, don’t take it too seriously. This is a Humor Blogs post and a mommy blog post. 
I mean, I am worried about the book, that part is serious. OK. Enough disclaimers.
That is something my daughter would pick up on right away. She hates the smell of cigarettes and tells everyone that she sees smoking how yucky it is.
Now that is just sick. I am offended right along side you.
I can’t help but wonder why it appears the picnicing dad is wearing no pants.
Uuuuuugh! I hate it when they mess with the kids! There are so many otherwise great books and movies ruined by stuff like that! Of course, I’m personally mighty picky…but, really, smoking? Come on!
Thanks for your comment on the Land of Pink
Stick with the original George books. The other ones are crap.
I remember, as a new mom, I decided I wouldn’t read these books to my precious child. Kidnapping a poor monkey from the jungle! Locking him up in the zoo! Scolding a young one for being too curious! My list of imagined offenses went on and on.
But you know what? My kids love the (original) George books. They beg for them. I’ve read them so much, I have them almost memorized. And, so far, no one has been too traumatized by them.
Also, the first Curious George book has a fascinating history. Did you know the manuscript narrowly missed falling into the hands of the Nazis? H.A.Rey escaped Paris (by bicycle) in 1940 just as the Germans were marching in. His manuscript was in a pack on his back. Imagine if the invaders had caught him! Curious George would have been forced to serve the wishes of the Fuehrer!
I don’t know what I’d do or say if I saw that in one of my daughter’s books, but it does make me wonder if Elmo starts puffing when the camera’s off..
And you totally inspired me to do a blog post about this. Can I link to you?
I wouldn’t read it. There are so many other books out there to choose from. I’ve never been a big Curious George fan anyway. One of Dylan’s favorite types of books right now is the I Spy books. He loves to find stuff in the pictures. I think it keeps him interested.
I understand that in newer printings, the cigarette has been replaced with crack.
I’m not entirely comfortable with that, either.
See, I wish the book WAS from 1965. Then we could just assume that the dad was blazing up a doobie.
I have a cookbook from 1974 that gives you suggestions for what to serve to guests with ‘the munchies’ if ‘grass is smoked socially at your house’.
Its definitely a little shocking to see what was put into children’s books, not so long ago! I think the Curious George books are bad enough because of the fact that the Man In The YEllow Hat basically kidnaps George from the jungle and takes him home, and George is all homesick and sad. How mean!(In the new movie version, George goes with the Man In the Yellow Hat on his own.)
Yesterday I bought the movie Pete’s Dragon at Half Price Books so Little BEar could watch it, because it used to be my favorite movie when I was a kid. But it scared the chaos out of Little Bear at the beginning, when the people were singing about how they were going to beat up little Pete and tie him to the railroad tracks, and later how the other bad guy was going to chop up Elliot and sell his meat!
I mean, I know some people say we are too protective of our kids these days… but JEEZ!
I never liked Curious George, either. How ’bout the first one – where the man goes to Africa, traps him and puts him in a zoo? “And George is sad…” but he gets over it. So lame. I like the dog post, too!
All jokes aside, the book is almost certainly a recent print, but the publisher may not have legal rights to change the content and remove the offending cigarette.
Which as a father of two little girls, really pisses me off.