Curious George visits Columbia's YouZeum
COLUMBIA — Screams of joy and shrieks of terror echoed through the YouZeum on Thursday as kids met the troublesome primate Curious George.
Some kids ran to George with open arms and smothered him in kisses, while others shied away. George took it all in stride, waving and posing for pictures with his biggest fans.
About 75 children and parents waited anxiously for the childhood icon outside the YouZeum before the event began at 10 a.m. KMOS-TV worked with the YouZeum and the MU Children's Hospital to bring Curious George to Columbia.
The playful monkey was asked to visit because his TV show is ranked No. 1 on PBS, said Louise Beasley, development officer for the Columbia branch of KMOS-TV.
"We wanted to help (the YouZeum) generate some activities for the summer, so we approached them about bringing a character," Beasley said.
Malaki Hall, 3, was the first in line to meet Curious George. He changed his mind, however, and sat on the side with his mom, Stacey Smith. When Smith asked if Malaki wanted to go take a picture with Curious George, he said, "I don't want to." The pair later left without having officially met the celebrity.
But Curious George didn't scare all the kids away. Noah Mayer, 5, had a blast meeting George. Noah said he like Curious George because he's curious, just like himself.
"I agree very much," said Noah's mom, Angela Mayer. "Yeah, his curiosity sometimes gets him in trouble, just like Curious George."
Charlie Lewis, 4, went up to Curious George and gave him a big hug when it was his turn. His sister, Ginny Lewis, 9, also tagged along. She doesn't watch the show, but she wanted to take a picture with her brother and Curious George.
As time passed, the smell of bananas began to waft through the area as children waited in an ever-growing line to meet Curious George.
"We feel like the turnout was really good for it," Beasley said.