Brian Jay Jones

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For the first time ever—a comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson

He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.

This extraordinary biography—written with the generous cooperation of the Henson family—covers the full arc of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age fifty-three. Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson's family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives, Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of the Muppets, Henson’s contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones provides the imaginative context for Henson’s non-Muppet projects, including the richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth—as well as fascinating misfires like Henson’s dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub.

An uncommonly intimate portrait, Jim Henson captures all the facets of this American original: the master craftsman who revolutionized the presentation of puppets on television, the savvy businessman whose dealmaking prowess won him a reputation as “the new Walt Disney,” and the creative team leader whose collaborative ethos earned him the undying loyalty of everyone who worked for him. Here also is insight into Henson’s intensely private personal life: his Christian Science upbringing, his love of fast cars and expensive art, and his weakness for women. Though an optimist by nature, Henson was haunted by the notion that he would not have time to do all the things he wanted to do in life—a fear that his heartbreaking final hours would prove all too well founded.

An up-close look at the charmed life of a legend, Jim Henson gives the full measure to a man whose joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and culture—and continues to beguile audiences worldwide.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKPAGE

“Jim Henson vibrantly delves into the magnificent man and his Muppet methods: It’s an absolute must-read!”—Neil Patrick Harris

“An exhaustive work that is never exhausting, a credit both to Jones’s brisk style and to Henson’s exceptional life.”—The New York Times

“[A] sweeping portrait that is a mix of humor, mirth and poignancy.”—Washington Independent Review of Books

“A meticulously researched tome chock-full of gems about the Muppets and the most thorough portrait of their creator ever crafted.”—Associated Press

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

Texas

The Biography

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * For the first time ever--a comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century's most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson

He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.

This extraordinary biography--written with the generous cooperation of the Henson family--covers the full arc of Henson's all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age fifty-three. Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson's family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives, Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of the Muppets, Henson's contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones provides the imaginative context for Henson's non-Muppet projects, including the richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth--as well as fascinating misfires like Henson's dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub.

An uncommonly intimate portrait, Jim Henson captures all the facets of this American original: the master craftsman who revolutionized the presentation of puppets on television, the savvy businessman whose dealmaking prowess won him a reputation as "the new Walt Disney," and the creative team leader whose collaborative ethos earned him the undying loyalty of everyone who worked for him. Here also is insight into Henson's intensely private personal life: his Christian Science upbringing, his love of fast cars and expensive art, and his weakness for women. Though an optimist by nature, Henson was haunted by the notion that he would not have time to do all the things he wanted to do in life--a fear that his heartbreaking final hours would prove all too well founded.

An up-close look at the charmed life of a legend, Jim Henson gives the full measure to a man whose joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and culture--and continues to beguile audiences worldwide.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKPAGE

"Jim Henson vibrantly delves into the magnificent man and his Muppet methods: It's an absolute must-read!"--Neil Patrick Harris

"An exhaustive work that is never exhausting, a credit both to Jones's brisk style and to Henson's exceptional life."--The New York Times

"[A] sweeping portrait that is a mix of humor, mirth and poignancy."--Washington Independent Review of Books

"A meticulously researched tome chock-full of gems about the Muppets and the most thorough portrait of their creator ever crafted."--Associated Press

Jim Henson

3177fc91-99a0-4655-8a1c-12d02835fb4d-1

Oversized Hardcover (4 to 6 lbs)

Illinois

Muppet Master

Jim Henson 

North Carolina

More Than 50 Fun and Fanciful Exercises to Inspire the Doodler in You!

Doodling with Jim Henson

3a9f5aff-c951-43ba-afd6-fc369f18ad09-0

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

New York

Jim Henson's Muppet Stories Book 1 Kermit's All-Time Favorites

comes with all shown and an extra three that didn’t fit in the photo limit! 3 others: peg leg wilson 2 of 4, 3 of 4, and 4 of 4

Oversized Paperback (4 to 6 lbs)

Kentucky

The Muppet Show Comics Bundle

Jim Henson Muppet Babies Hard Cover Childrens Books Lot Of 2

Baby Piggy & The Thunderstorm 1987

Baby Piggy's Mermaid Tale 1986

Both books are in incredible shape. Very little wear. Strong spines and no missing pages

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Maryland

Jim Henson Muppet Babies Hard Cover Childrens Books Lot Of 2

Florida

Sesame Street Library Volume 5

Fozzie’s Last Lap

Sesame Beginnings Eyes & Nose, Fingers & Toes

Win Some, Lose Some 

Ohio

On my way to Sesame Street 

People in my Neighborhood vintage Sesame Street 

Just Pretend Vintage Sesame Street

Missouri

Reading & Language Arts

My First Muppet Dictionary 

Alabama

The muppets take manhattan

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Mrs Piggy

Vintage McDonald’s books muppets piggy

Has light pen or pencil marking on a few pages but once colored can hardly see it 

Muppets paint and marker book vintage 

#fiction #childrens #children #paperback #muppets #preschool #teaching

Tennessee

Muppet Babies Big Enough

And other things to consider

It’s Not Easy Being Green 

Wisconsin

Featuring Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets

The Sesame Street Treasury - Volume 1 

Show and Tell is a 1980 Sesame Street storybook.

On show and tell day at school, everyone has brought something fun and exciting to school, and Bert especially wants his to be a surpise. After play time, story time, and paint time, it is time for show and tell.#hardcover #hardcover #childrens #sesamestreet FREE SHIPPING WITH MIN. PURCHASE 


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Brian Jay Jones

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Jim Henson

Doodling with Jim Henson

Jim Henson

Jim Henson's Muppet Stories Book 1 Kermit's All-Time Favorites

Jim Henson

The Muppet Show Comics Bundle

Jim Henson

Jim Henson Muppet Babies Hard Cover Childrens Books Lot Of 2

Jim Henson

Sesame Street Library Volume 5

Jim Henson

Fozzie’s Last Lap

Jim Henson

Sesame Beginnings Eyes & Nose, Fingers & Toes

Jim Henson

Win Some, Lose Some

Jim Henson

People in my Neighborhood vintage Sesame Street

Jim Henson

Just Pretend Vintage Sesame Street

Jim Henson

My First Muppet Dictionary

Jim henson

The muppets take manhattan

Jim Henson

Vintage McDonald’s books muppets piggy

Jim Henson

Muppets paint and marker book vintage

Jim Henson

Muppet Babies Big Enough

Jim Henson

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Jim Henson

The Sesame Street Treasury - Volume 1

Jim Henson

Sesame Street

Jim Henson

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Jim Henson

The Sesame Treasury - Volume 5

Jim Henson

The Sesame Street Treasury - Volume 3

Jim Henson

The Sesame Street Treasury - Volume 6