Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets

This is an exceptional biography of an exceptional guy. I really enjoyed it as did my wife when I read it to her. It's thorough and beautiful, really a wonderful tribute to a truly visionary artist. ( )

Affectionate and appealing introduction to Henson's life for younger readers. ( )

A great biography of Jim Henson, inventor of the Muppets. I enjoyed his story and how it talks about where he started. I think students would enjoy this story because they would be familiar with the Muppets from movies and television shows. The students would be engaged in the story off of recognition. ( )

This biographical picture book is best suited for elementary to middle school-aged readers, and serves as an excellent introduction to Jim Henson as a person and as a gifted puppeteer. His accomplishments would forever alter the previous boundaries and perspectives surrounding puppetry. While it is impossible for one picture book to effectively communicate that to young readers, this book takes great strides in doing so.

We learn that from an early age, Jim Henson relished performing before an audience. He would perform for family members in their backyard, and later made some of his first public appearances as that of Cub Scout. He later joined many school plays working both behind and on the set, and was enthralled by radio and television programs. It is revealed that a big early influence to Jim Henson were the works of L. Frank Baum, who created a world filled with details in his Oz series. The Wizard of Oz was the first movie Jim Henson ever saw, and remained his favorite throughout his life.

Jim Henson spent much of his boyhood writing poetry and drawing, but it was after the family purchased their first television set that his interests began shifting to puppetry. In high school, he and a friend got a job working with marionette puppets on a TV show. Once in college, he tried to please his father by taking science courses but art classes ultimately won out. It was in college that Henson got his first TV show, called Sam and Friends. It was during this time that Henson began instituting so many of the things that would change puppetry--instead of using simply wood, he began experimenting with a variety of fabric and materials. He also did away with a stage, as the TV screen now served as a stage.

While in college, Henson was conflicted about making a career from puppetry, but it was after traveling abroad that he came home reassured that he was doing the right thing. It was then that he formed Muppets, Inc. and married his sweetheart. Throughout the 60s, he delighted audiences with his Muppets, who would often have sketches preceding the Ed Sullivan show. It was in 1968 that Henson received the phone call that would change his life---a call from a TV producer who wished to make a show called Sesame Street, an educational program targeting preschoolers. This revolutionary show changed children's television, and became the most influential and longest-running program in history.

This book's illustrations are a bit abstract in the beginning, but by the middle and the end of the book, we see many characters that we recognize such as Kermit and Big Bird, in addition to other Sesame Street cast. All in all, the images nicely compliment the book. I would recommend this book to any artistically inclined young person, as it is reminder that there is a future to be found in the art, and there is hope for those who wish to spend their time pursuing creative endeavors as a career. ( )

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster, and all the other Muppets became famous because of their creator, Jim Henson. Henson, always having a creative imagination, wanted to make people of all ages laugh. He achieved this through his puppets. His dream was to share his puppet creations with everyone on television, which was relatively new for the time. At age 16, Henson succeeded in his quest in landing a job playing with puppets on TV. However, in college, he got his big break when he got his own show, "Sam and Friends." A friends, Jane Nebel helped him to create new puppets for the show, and they called them the muppets. A few years later, Henson and Nebel decided to get married and form their own company, Muppets, Inc. This led to more success, and within 15 years Henson and his muppets were famous on TV. This led to the creation of Seasame Street, the longest running and most influential children's show in history! Henson has made a huge difference in the world with his creative and colorful imagination. ( )