It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider

Every time I learn something new about Jim Henson I like him even better. What a wonderful, inspirational, and zany man. As a kid I loved Sesame Street and the Muppets and The Dark Crystal and The Labyrinth and as an adult I am still taken in with his creations. For not being human they have a wide array of emotions and can share that with their viewers. To this day, I tear up whenever I hear The Rainbow Connection. It's so pure and comforting and after having read this book, I think Jim Henson was pure and comforting. What a gift. Filled with wonderful quotations and illustrations this book is a love letter to Jim and to humanity. Heartfelt and exactly what I needed to read today!

Very inspirational book full of quotes from Jim Henson, the Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and the people and productions Henson created over the years. Henson was one of those men who touched so many lives through his work.

Whether it comes from song lyrics, thoughts from his journals, or words of wisdom from his coworkers; each quote in this book has the ability to lift you up and inspire you to greater things. Well, that's what it did for me anyway.

Jim Henson was Kermit the Frog. And Kermit the Frog was Jim Henson. Therefore, it is no surprise that this book, a collection of thoughts about and from Jim Henson, has Kermit so prominently displayed on the cover. In fact, in the process of judging a book by its cover, it would be easy to think this is a collection of Kermit’s sayings (along the lines of other Muppet books like Pepe’s It’s Hard Out Here for a Shrimp or Kermit’s own Before You Leap: A Frog’s Eye View of Life’s Greatest Lessons…Did I just say Kermit’s own? Anyway…)

But, no, this is really a tribute to the genius and gentleness that was Jim Henson. As with any collection of quotes, there are high and low points, and there may have been too much a tendency show more to use quotes and songs from Muppet characters (although, with Henson’s involvement in all Muppet projects, it is quite evident that when the Muppets spoke it was Henson speaking), but the overall affect of this book is…pleasantness. This is a book that is an antidote to the negativism of the real world.

And my favorite quote? From Kermit: “I have a lot of great memories from the swamp. I remember when I was little, we’d all just sit out on our lily pads for hours and hours, rocking gently on the water and listening to the soft, sweet sound of chirping crickets…Then, of course, we’d eat the crickets…but that’s another story.” show less

I picked this up after having the chance to see a traveling Smithsonian exhibit of the history of Jim Henson and his puppetry, and read it straight through in just two sittings. This is "the world according the Jim Henson"-like -- with dozens of quotes from Henson, his co-workers, and those who were inspired by the man and his work ethic. Broken up into a variety of categories, this is inspirational but lite-weight, however if you grew up on any of Henson's creations -- the Muppets of Sesame Street, Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggie and the others of The Muppet Show, the creatures of Fraggle Rock, or the various one-shot productions (like The Dark Crystal), you'll appreciate this peek into the psyche of the man behind them all.

Originally show more reviewed for my local libraries' website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts/bookguide/srec/staffrec11-05.htm show less

Not quite as fun as I was expecting, but interesting glimpses into the history of the muppets and other Jim Henson productions. It's really a collection of quotes from Henson and those who worked with him through the years. Nothing really new or surprising, but a few of the quotes from Henson himself are good, particularly when he talks about how to view work life and fun life--get your work done so you can go have fun!

This is a great book. It gives really short stories about how Jim Henson created Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Ernie, and many other of his Muppet characters. The stories are told by Jim himself - and many of his closest friends and relatives - as well as some of his Muppet characters.

The drawings and animations in this book show some of Henson's earliest work. They are all pencil drawings of what would become his famous Muppet characters. My personal favorite is the monster on page 39, right behind an unsuspecting little girl.

"It's Not Easy Being Green" is a wonderful uplifting book that will inspire people of all ages.

Horribly disappointing. I love Jim Henson, I could never be disappointed by anything by him or about him, but here I am, disappointed. All the quotes were about the exact same things - nothing interesting, nothing to think about. Although I did appreciate thoughts by Dr. Teeth.