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adderbolt - Jack posted an update Tuesday, Oct 11, 2011, 12:42am EDT, 14 years ago
The Guy Who Played with Puppets
Jean Patrick’s review of the new illustrated children’s book, Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played With Puppets
If you’ve heard of The Muppets, you might also recognize the name of their creator, Jim Henson. After reading this book, you’ll know him as well as Kermit the Frog.
Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets, Random House - 40 pages - by Kathleeen Krull, presents Henson’s life story.As a boy, Henson spent unhurried days by the river near his home in Leland, Miss. He daydreamed, took care of his pets (turtles, snakes and frogs), drew imaginary creatures, and played with his best friend, Kermit. When he reached his early teens, he developed an interest in puppets, thanks to seeing Kukla, Fran, and Ollie on television. It was definitely a turning point. “His father, a biologist, wanted Jim to prepare for a career in science,” writes Krull. “Too late. Within a few years, Jim was looking for a TV job. Playing with puppets seemed a promising idea.”
In high school and college, he performed on TV. To create a side character named Kermit, he cut up his mom’s old green cloth coat and made ping-pong ball eyes. From there, Krull covers the rest of Henson’s productive life. After studying puppetry in Europe, he returned to the United States to form a company called Muppets, Inc. (a combination of the words “puppets” and “marionettes”). Fifteen years later, in 1968, he was asked to help with a new television show, “Sesame Street.” Before long, Bert, Ernie, Oscar, and more Muppets were born.
As expected, Krull writes about Henson’s incredible imagination. But she also emphasizes other parts of his personality. He loved to experiment. The book is illustrated by the husband/wife team of Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Their paintings are soft and poignant, particularly the final scene that shows hundreds of people waving butterfly puppets at his funeral. Although the end is heartbreaking, the book’s last line affirms his goal. “Jim Henson had made a difference in this world.”
