The Importance of Jim Henson: Library Edition

Traces the life and career of the creator of the Muppets and discusses his involvement in "Sesame Street," "The Muppet Show," and other projects

Reviewed with Deanne Durrett's Jonas Salk.

Gr. 2-5. Two books in the Inventors and Creators series showcase individuals who left their marks in areas that seem worlds apart. Henson, creator of the hugely popular Muppets, is followed from his Mississippi boyhood and earliest experiences with puppetry to his TV breakthrough, fame, and untimely death. Lots of photos of the Muppets are scattered through the text, along with rather impersonal shots of places and ideas related to Henson. The workings of the Muppets are explained, but the illustrations reveal little about the relationship between the camera and the puppeteer or about the structure of the puppets. Salk looks at the man who, in spite of a lack of respect within the scientific community of his day, helped make dreaded polio a thing of the past. The well-organized text, suitably illustrated with archival photos and quotes, provides a sense of the social ramifications of polio epidemics as it traces Salk from boy to scientist, revealing him to be a perfectionist who valued creativity above research reporting. Each volume ends with a glossary, a bibliography, and a list of Web sites to help children find out more. Francisca Goldsmith
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