‘Very Monkey Christmas’ Is the Wholesome Family Movie That Captures Real Christmas Magic

Welcome back to the show my friend. Merry Christmas and thanks for tuning in today. Today's Christmas film is A Very Monkey Christmas. A wonderful animated film that's about two hours long and is perfect for every family. It's about our favorite monkey Curious George, trying to figure out what to give the Man with the Yellow Hat for Christmas. There are some terrific values that your family will take away from this. But above all, there's a secret gift wrapped up in this film that your family can create as well.

Welcome to Wholesome TV Picks. I'm Jennifer Homeschool mom of three, and I've spent over 35 years loving and rewatching wholesome TV. If you're tired of endless scrolling or settling for shows that don't match your family's values, I'm here to help. Each week I share tried and true favorites so you can skip the stress and rediscover TV that brings your family together.

Let's dive in.

'A Very Monkey Christmas' is a Modern Family Favorite

A Very Monkey Christmas is a modern film that my children grew up watching. My kids absolutely love Curious George, although in more recent years it's been toning down as they're aging out of it. But we've enjoyed A Very Monkey Christmas for quite some years now. Here's a quick overview of the film.

George is so excited for Christmas as any kid would be, and is trying to find the perfect gift for the Man with the Yellow Hat. On the flip side, the Man with the Yellow Hat is trying to figure out what George wants for Christmas based on a drawing that George gives him. This movie is truly funny and very heartwarming with its simple storyline that emphasizes the importance of family, friendship, and love during the Christmas season.

Moving Beyond Commercialization

Now, I don't know about you, but the one thing that bugs me most about Christmas is the commercialization. We see all the Christmas stuff being brought out of the stores earlier and earlier every year. And it just gets tiring of being marketed to all the time for Christmas that it's all about the almighty buck. And I've really been trying to take a more minimalistic approach to Christmas and not being focused on gifts.

He doesn't have any money. And I think that really represents children because our children don't have money, or at least most of them don't. And I know some parents, give allowances to buy the presents that they wanna give to their family or their friends. But I really love how George is spending so much time trying to think about what to make. And it's really cute because it teaches children how to use their imagination and to think of what would mean the most to the recipient. George is very creative. He comes up with all kinds of ideas.

Which leads me to my question for you, do you and your family buy more gifts? Or are you more crafty to where you make your gifts that you give to friends and family?

If you'd like another film that emphasizes the same value of handmade items versus mass production items, go back and check out my episode a couple of weeks ago for Santa Clause: The Movie.

The True Meaning in 'A Very Monkey Christmas' is Togetherness

Best of all, if you really sit and watch this film with your children, is the togetherness. That's really what the season is about, isn't it? As a Christian, our family does celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which is the most important, but the other most important thing for any family is the togetherness. Making time to be present in our children's lives and to create memories because we know our children are not going to be children forever. One day they will grow up and leave our homes, and I'm gonna try not to get emotional talking about this.

We were watching this film just the other day. My children enjoy remembering when they were younger watching this movie and all the previous Christmases that we've had together. How they used to act just like George, so excited for Christmas. George just reflects the innocence and the excitement any child has waiting for Christmas morning. Remembering how they used to make their lists and being little, sitting on the couch watching this with popcorn and watching the DVD on our way to visit family and friends or to go Christmas shopping.

And for my husband and myself, it's remembering when our kids were really little and laughing at George and all of his crazy antics. In this movie.

Creating Family Inside Jokes Rooted In 'A Very Monkey Christmas'

We have Betsy, trying to figure out what to give her aunt for Christmas and she wants to write a song. And Betsy's brother Steve is trying to help her and he comes up with his own ideas of Christmas songs and the words and the ideas that come out of his mouth are just hilarious. For example, he sings, Do fish know when it is Christmas? Do fish know when it is Christmas? Or are they confused? And he's singing it in the rhythm of, We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Me saying the words doesn't do justice for the song, but when you watch it, you'll get it. The things Steve says with all these different songs is another memory for our family because it's like an in joke with our family. We're always singing Steve's versions of Christmas songs because we find the humor in them and we just, we enjoyed the movie so much. It's just a fun memory for our family. We're always remembering what we were doing when we first heard it, how hard we laughed together, how my kids try to make their own versions of the songs too.

These little memories for our family. And the togetherness that we share together. And it made me think that one day my kids are not gonna be in my home, and I'm gonna remember these memories of them being small and watching these cartoons and hopefully one day be able to enjoy them with my grandchildren. That's my goal, that's my dream.

And the togetherness and the memories is what I want for you and your family. I really hope that you take the time to watch this movie or any movie really. Even any of the past shows that I've talked about, like The Torkelsons in episode two, Family Ties and Rescue 911.

'A Very Monkey Christmas' Helps You Embrace Imperfection

Another important value I think children see in this movie is imperfection. I'm struggling right now with imperfection with this podcast, and I'm trying to learn to accept imperfectionism. In the beginning of the story, you have George and the Man with the Yellow Hat go shopping for their Christmas tree and George picks out the most imperfect tree you can find. But he loves it for a certain reason. And that reason is shown in the, in the movie.

In my opinion, this tree is a symbol of imperfectionism. We worry so much about having our homes perfect, having the perfect gift, doing this and that, checking everything off of our list to make sure everything is perfect for the holidays. I am talking to myself here too. We get so wrapped up in having everything look perfect and I know I get upset when things don't go according to plan and it tends to be a thorn in my side because I'm so frustrated, and I think it really helps to convey the message that things don't have to be perfect, and you can still have a wonderful, beautiful Christmas with the ones that you love.

I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I really love how this tree in the cartoon is a symbol of accepting imperfectionism and that that's not what Christmas is about. It's about the family. And at the end when we see the gift that George gives, the Man with the yellow hat, it all comes together full circle that it's about the time we spend together.

Decoding the Wishlist

We also have the Man with the Yellow Hat trying to figure out what in the world does George want for Christmas based on this drawing. I think you and I can definitely relate to that, especially with little kids that don't know how to write and you're trying to figure out the scribbles the illegible writing on their Christmas wishlist. In the end, we'll figure it out because you and I know our kids best and we usually can figure out what it is they want.

Key Takeaways from 'A Very Monkey Christmas'

The values you and your family can take away from this is the idea that you don't have to buy gifts for the ones that you love. You don't have to buy all your gifts for everyone on your Christmas list. You can make something really simple and have more value than anything you can buy.

Second the point during the season, we need to slow down and spend time with our families, especially our children. Because one day they're not gonna be in our homes and you're going to cherish and relish the moments that we create now, and you can start making memories by watching movies like A Very Monkey Christmas.

Third, accepting imperfection during the season.

Where to Watch

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas is available for free right now for you to enjoy with your family at pbskids.com. There's even a Christmas episode of Rescue 911 that's a really good one about Christmas and I'll leave links in the show notes for all the places that you can watch it free and paid.

Help Me Reach My Goal

If Wholesome TV Picks has helped you with one great movie or TV show that you've been able to enjoy with your family, do me a favor, share it with a friend and help them find their next favorite film or TV series.

Additionally, I have a challenge for you. I need your help to reach 50 reviews on Apple Podcasts before episode 50 drops in January. This is episode 45 and there are five more episodes to go. Head over to ratethispodcast.com/wholesometvpicks and leave a review. Ratethispodcast.com makes it super easy and shows you step by step how to leave a review on your favorite app. Again, go to ratethispodcast.com/wholesometvpicks.

Until Next Week

Next week I'm doing something a little different. I've put together a Christmas TV roundup just for you. Classic Christmas episodes from some of the best shows I've covered this year. All ones, you don't have to preview.

Thanks for listening. Have a great rest of your week. Don't forget to slow down and enjoy the season with your kids. Remember, your values matter and your TV should too. I'll catch you next week. Bye-bye.