---
product_id: 27914266
title: "Jim Henson: The Biography"
price: "$97"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/27914266-jim-henson-the-biography
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# Jim Henson: The Biography

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Jim Henson: The Biography [Jones, Brian Jay] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Jim Henson: The Biography

Review: A must for Muppet Fans - This is a must for any serious fan of the Muppets. I am not sure non Muppet fans will enjoy this. If you ever wondered how it all got started this book is for you. The overall story is inspirational. You can see the power of an idea and a dream. This book takes you deep into this world. After this you will feel that you personally knew Jim and the crew. The book will give you everything you can think of about the Muppets you can think of. The book gives you not only the business aspect as well as little tips about the various characters. The book is full of information you won't find anywhere else. I was memorized by the little stories about Jim and his work. I learned a great deal. To think of the empire all started with an idea. He started the Muppets on a Maryland afternoon TV show. He had an idea to make his puppets differently than what was the normal mode back then. The norm was to make them out of wood like Howdy Duty. Jim came out with a foam pattern that made him different. That difference rocked the Muppets to the start. The Muppets grew from that. Did you know that Rolf the Dog was on the Jimmy Dean show in the early 60s. He got more fan mail than Jimmy Dean. Jim and the Muppets started slowly appearing on all kinds of shows. That lead to the famous Muppet show. That show became the most popular show in the world at the time. The movies grew after that. As you read these stories you get some insight on how they did their Magic. He had quite a crew just for Muppet construction in later two studios. I found the stories of you they made the Muppet movies really interesting. They put the puppet operators like in holes in the ground. Jim himself was partially underwater during the famous swamp scene in the first movie. His company made great advances in the field of robotics. That is how they got Kermit to operate a bike. Jim's staff made Yoda from Star Wars. The book doesn't stop there. You will get a ton of information on the business side. That brings texture to the whole epic story. The average reader will realize several of their productions were more successful than most thought. The famous merging with Disney is discussed in some detail. That went on for years and years, back and forth. Overall it was a great book for the fan.
Review: Inspirational and Amazing - Like many other people my age, I grew up with The Muppets. I spent a good part of my young childhood watching Sesame Street and so many other Muppet related shows and movies. I have so many fond memories of all those terrific shows and movies that came from the genius of Jim Henson. But like all but the most cynical kids...and many adults...never once did I really consider that those lovable Monsters were mere cloth puppets at the helm of some of the most creative geniuses in the entertainment history. At 31 years old, I still love The Muppets, as does my husband. Despite the fact that we are childless, we had no problems being the only childless adults in the movie theater for the last Muppet movie and we are both counting down the days until the next Muppet movie is released. At a craft fair I bought my husband a Kermit the Frog pillow and last night I bought myself a copy of The Muppet Christmas Carol. So yeah, can you tell that we are huge fans over here? So back in October when we found out that there was a Jim Henson biography...I knew I had to get a hold of it. As much as I loved The Muppets...I honestly did not know much of their backstory...or rather, the back story about Jim Henson. Initially I thought the book was kind of a snore fest. It starts out with Jim Henson's family history (back to like his grandparents!) and well, it was not all that interesting. I probably could have done without any of that back history. It got a little more interesting once Jim Henson starts with his television career and just keeps escalating from there. By the time the Muppets in their current form (or at least the form from the 80's) I was completely enthralled and for days, it was all I could talk or think about. Jim Henson was just that fascinating of a character. I stayed up late on Tuesday night finishing up. I was at work, and knew that I had to be up before six a.m. but that did not stop me from staying up until almost 11:30 reading. I seriously almost lost it. Reading about Jim Henson's death and memorial service was heart breaking. I had invested so much time into reading the biography, and has so many memories of The Muppets that I honestly felt as though I was losing a friend. Just writing this right now is bringing tears to my eyes... It's rare to find a "celebrity" nowadays that honestly deserves the kind of love and respect that we endow on them...but Jim Henson is definitely one of those celebrities that deserve it. Truly inspiring man.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #62,870 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2 in Puppets & Puppetry (Books) #22 in TV History & Criticism #246 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,289) |
| Dimensions  | 5.44 x 1.25 x 8.3 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0345526120 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0345526120 |
| Item Weight  | 1.2 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 608 pages |
| Publication date  | May 10, 2016 |
| Publisher  | Ballantine Books |

## Images

![Jim Henson: The Biography - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aXMB0E9EL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must for Muppet Fans
*by T***E on April 13, 2014*

This is a must for any serious fan of the Muppets. I am not sure non Muppet fans will enjoy this. If you ever wondered how it all got started this book is for you. The overall story is inspirational. You can see the power of an idea and a dream. This book takes you deep into this world. After this you will feel that you personally knew Jim and the crew. The book will give you everything you can think of about the Muppets you can think of. The book gives you not only the business aspect as well as little tips about the various characters. The book is full of information you won't find anywhere else. I was memorized by the little stories about Jim and his work. I learned a great deal. To think of the empire all started with an idea. He started the Muppets on a Maryland afternoon TV show. He had an idea to make his puppets differently than what was the normal mode back then. The norm was to make them out of wood like Howdy Duty. Jim came out with a foam pattern that made him different. That difference rocked the Muppets to the start. The Muppets grew from that. Did you know that Rolf the Dog was on the Jimmy Dean show in the early 60s. He got more fan mail than Jimmy Dean. Jim and the Muppets started slowly appearing on all kinds of shows. That lead to the famous Muppet show. That show became the most popular show in the world at the time. The movies grew after that. As you read these stories you get some insight on how they did their Magic. He had quite a crew just for Muppet construction in later two studios. I found the stories of you they made the Muppet movies really interesting. They put the puppet operators like in holes in the ground. Jim himself was partially underwater during the famous swamp scene in the first movie. His company made great advances in the field of robotics. That is how they got Kermit to operate a bike. Jim's staff made Yoda from Star Wars. The book doesn't stop there. You will get a ton of information on the business side. That brings texture to the whole epic story. The average reader will realize several of their productions were more successful than most thought. The famous merging with Disney is discussed in some detail. That went on for years and years, back and forth. Overall it was a great book for the fan.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Inspirational and Amazing
*by N***S on December 8, 2013*

Like many other people my age, I grew up with The Muppets. I spent a good part of my young childhood watching Sesame Street and so many other Muppet related shows and movies. I have so many fond memories of all those terrific shows and movies that came from the genius of Jim Henson. But like all but the most cynical kids...and many adults...never once did I really consider that those lovable Monsters were mere cloth puppets at the helm of some of the most creative geniuses in the entertainment history. At 31 years old, I still love The Muppets, as does my husband. Despite the fact that we are childless, we had no problems being the only childless adults in the movie theater for the last Muppet movie and we are both counting down the days until the next Muppet movie is released. At a craft fair I bought my husband a Kermit the Frog pillow and last night I bought myself a copy of The Muppet Christmas Carol. So yeah, can you tell that we are huge fans over here? So back in October when we found out that there was a Jim Henson biography...I knew I had to get a hold of it. As much as I loved The Muppets...I honestly did not know much of their backstory...or rather, the back story about Jim Henson. Initially I thought the book was kind of a snore fest. It starts out with Jim Henson's family history (back to like his grandparents!) and well, it was not all that interesting. I probably could have done without any of that back history. It got a little more interesting once Jim Henson starts with his television career and just keeps escalating from there. By the time the Muppets in their current form (or at least the form from the 80's) I was completely enthralled and for days, it was all I could talk or think about. Jim Henson was just that fascinating of a character. I stayed up late on Tuesday night finishing up. I was at work, and knew that I had to be up before six a.m. but that did not stop me from staying up until almost 11:30 reading. I seriously almost lost it. Reading about Jim Henson's death and memorial service was heart breaking. I had invested so much time into reading the biography, and has so many memories of The Muppets that I honestly felt as though I was losing a friend. Just writing this right now is bringing tears to my eyes... It's rare to find a "celebrity" nowadays that honestly deserves the kind of love and respect that we endow on them...but Jim Henson is definitely one of those celebrities that deserve it. Truly inspiring man.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A man of magic.
*by B***D on April 10, 2023*

As exhaustive a biography as I've ever read (or listened to), Brian Jay Jones' comprehensive work serves as the first stop and the last on the road of getting to know the magical, inimitable Jim Henson. Jim, the worlds and characters he created, and many of the people that he surrounded himself with, were all integral in the formation of the stuff which my imagination is made of. From Sesame Street to The Dark Crystal, The Muppets to Labyrinth, Jim was a curator of wondrous experiences that ignited the mind of a young Bryan, and I'm of the opinion that instances that formative cannot be overstated.

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*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-03-04*