OK. You know Jim Henson, right? The creator of the muppets, creative force behind Sesame Street, voice of Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog?
Right. Of course you do. EVERYBODY knows who Jim Henson is, or at least knows his work on sight. Pretty much everyone around agrees that he was an amazing individual, which is why any biography about him had better involve a whole lot of awesome.
This biography? It's serviceable. It's very nice, in fact. It's written in picturebook format, with lovely soft-realism illustrations featuring Jim and his creations. The text is written at about a grade 4 level, and it summarizes Jim's life and work in earnest detail. The problem, really, is the distinct lack of awesomeness.
When you read a biography about a guy who created the muppets, you kind of expect a splash of whimsy. You want titillating details about how he came up with a puppet that lives in a garbage can. You're looking for hilarious interjections from Animal, some snarky comments from the Critics, and maybe some cookie crumbs scattered here and there in the gutters. Jim Henson was a guy brimming with originality and creativity: this biography is...not.
Technically, this biography is perfectly adequate. It takes a broad overview of Jim's personal life, provides general information about his work, and contains attractive illustrations that fit the text. But I can't help feeling let down, because I was desperately hoping for something amazing, brilliant, funny, and totally worthy of Jim Henson's lasting genius. Adults who are lifelong Muppet Show and Sesame Street devotees may pick up this book to learn more about Jim, but there's nothing here to wow a kid who isn't already a fan.
Biography
Grades 3-6
Click here to visit the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!
No comments:
Post a Comment