Jim Henson

July 22, 2013
The Sesame Street auteur who made the Muppets into a global entertainment and merchandising juggernaut seems almost as winsome as his cute, furry creations in this adulatory biography. Jones (Washington Irving: An American Original) styles Henson as a polite and soft-spoken but charismatic figure whose “faith in his fellow man was unbounded,” and whose defining characteristics were “staggering” generosity and an unerring instinct for “playing nice.” The worst sins the author can dredge up are affordable penchants for fast cars and gambling and some affairs after Henson separated from his wife. Jones makes a meatier, though overstated, case for Henson as a genius—he soft pedals the fact that Henson’s non-Muppet projects usually bombed—who revolutionized puppetry with televisual mise-en-scène; flexible, expressive, close-up-ready faces; and edgy humor that often climaxed in explosions or Muppet cannibalism. The book’s most engrossing passages explore the extraordinary technical demands of creating naturalistic puppet spectacles in the age before computer graphics: “performing” a Muppet was an intricate, almost contortionistic dance of two puppeteers crammed into a single sleeve, and one swampy movie scene required Henson to manipulate a banjo-playing Kermit the Frog while sealed in a diving bell. Jones presents a rather bland show-biz saga, but with a fascinating making-of documentary woven in. Photos. Agent: Jonathan Lyons, Lyons Literary.

July 15, 2013
Biographer Jones (Washington Irving: An American Original, 2007) relies on strict chronology to tell the life of Muppets creator Jim Henson (1936-1990). With the cooperation of the Henson family, the author portrays his subject as not only innovative, but also mostly upbeat and pleasant to work with. Since the Muppets are mostly feel-good creations and Henson was mostly a feel-good guy, the biographical narrative sometimes lacks tension. That is a minor shortcoming, however. Jones is masterful at explaining how Henson grew up to become a daring puppeteer and scriptwriter, how he managed to attract so much remarkable talent to his side, and how his stressful business relationship with the Disney Company might have aggravated the bacterial infection that weakened the normally healthy Henson, who died at age 53 while trying to negotiate the planned Disney purchase of the franchise. (Note: While there was speculation at the time of his death that the Disney negotiations had a detrimental effect on Henson's health, there is no medical proof that this was the case.) Jones does not ignore Henson's separation from his wife/creative partner, nor his extramarital affair with a much younger woman, but the downside of Henson's personality is not Jones' primary focus. In an era of pathography, this biography stands out as positive. The writing is clear throughout, and the chronological approach allows Jones to clearly demonstrate cause and effect. Forced to become a businessman to manage what became an unexpectedly large empire, Henson often struggled with the portion of his days that felt noncreative. Jones continually shows that Henson left the world a better place, which serves as the book's theme. The author ably shows many reasons why Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and many other Henson creations are recognizable more than two decades after his death. A solid biography that can be enjoyed by readers of more than one generation.

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September 15, 2013

Jones chronicles Jim Henson's life, starting with a look at how Henson's teenage fascination with the television industry in the early 1950s propelled him into an enduring journey through the art of puppetry, and on a larger scale, a venue to share his love, imagination, and humor with the world. In 1955, he created local TV segments with his wife, Jane Nebal, which showcased their unique puppets and comedic sense that was partial to things being eaten or blown up. The first of Henson's many television commercials, in which several of the Muppet characters were developed, ran in 1957. Attending Puppeteers of America conventions, Henson and Nebal met future collaborators including Frank Oz, who would go on to become half of what many consider to be one of the great comedic duos: Bert and Ernie. All the while, Henson created and ran a company built on teamwork, laughter, and abundant creativity. His life was a steady stream of projects including Sesame Street, the first season of Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, and The Muppet Movie. VERDICT Jones's (Washington Irving) biography, which draws on interviews with Henson's family, friends, and colleagues as well as company and family archives, brings to light a spirit of love, warmth, wit, and so much more. It makes an enjoyable companion to Karen Falk's Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal. [See Prepub Alert, 4/1/13; see Q&A with the author on p. 72.]--Lani Smith, Ohone Coll. Lib., Fremont, CA

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2013
It's still a shock 23 years later: the irrepressible creator of the Muppets dead at 53. No one embraced life and creativity with more optimism and enthusiasm than Jim Henson. The first to write a complete biography of Henson, Jones spoke at length with people close to Henson personally and professionally, and his lucid style, wide-angle perspective, and deep immersion in Henson's exuberantly innovative approach to puppets, television, and film make for a thoroughly compelling read. A tall, confident gadget freak from Mississippi and Maryland, with a zany sense of humor, Henson inherited his grandmother's versatile artistic gifts and wanted to work in television the minute he saw it. When a job as a TV puppeteer opened up in 1955, Henson, a freshman in college who knew nothing about puppets, leaped at the chance, teaming up with intrepid artist Jane Nebel. Henson coined the name Muppets; he and Jane married, had five talented children, and worked feverishly, arriving at Sesame Street in 1969, where Kermit, Henson's alter ego, and the rest of the now-classic Muppets began their benevolent, rambunctious rule. Right up until Henson's sudden death in 1990, he and his stellar collaborators, including Frank Oz, continually broke new ground. With verve and insight, Jones illuminates the full scope of Henson's genius, phenomenal productivity, complex private life, zeal to do good, and astronomical influence.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)