Curious George, Toxic Monkey
I love me some Curious George. The TV show is on in my area no fewer than five times a day. I’m not kidding. And since some three year old in my house has recently developed a passion for George!, we are subjected to his whimsical humorous antics frequently. Oh yes, I love me some George.
Except, not the toxic lead-laden doll version of Curious George, no thanks. The one selling at a store near you, like Toys ‘R Us.
An independent watchdog agency,the Center for
Environmental Health (CEH), found that one of these Curious George dolls sold at Toys ‘R Us contained ten times the allowed amount of lead. This is new information as of Wednesday, so no recall has been issued at this point and it’s likely that the dolls are still on the shelves, but the CEH has filed legal notices with the toy’s manufacturer, which will hopefully prompt some action. Another case where activism can make a difference.
Poor George. It’s not his fault even though he’s always cautioned to be a “good little monkey.” Guess he stepped in the lead paint.
Concerned about lead in your kid’s stuff? This article about home lead testing of your items, such as bibs, lunchboxes and kids’ jewelry, all known to contain lead, may help.
Oh, and one more thing. I was unable to determine exactly which of probably dozens of incarnations of Curious George dolls is the culprit here. The one pictured is the “Tickle and Giggle” (I kid you not) version sold at Wal-Mart, but again, I don’t know if this is THE Curious George causing the problem. I’ll keep you posted.
Yes!! What about the CANDY! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read that.
By the way, there was an earlier post here about home lead testing kits. Apparently they aren’t all alike in efficacy. I’d go with the one mentioned in the CEH link in this post, though.
That is a great link to the site about lead testing. I have to say, I have never heard about the problem with lead in candy before either. I bet they sell that candy here in Costa Rica since it is made in Mexico and they are trade partners. I just joined a coop to buy some lead testing swab kits over on diapertraders.com . As soon as I get them I am testing everything!!!
Good point! We’ve posted a few times about alternatives…basically you can look for toys NOT made in China (US- or German-made for example), or handmade toys (Etsy). Also there are attributes you can look for that ensure the toys don’t have lead: wooden, non-painted toys, for example.
Seriously, it might be easier to tell us which toys we can buy without poisoning our kids with lead. My little girl loves Curious George and they are wonderful little stories we can enjoy together…sometimes though, I think she thinks George is a role model.