Jim Henson: The Biography - Brian Jay Jones
Jim Henson: The Biography (Ballantine, $35) is one of my favorite books of the season. Any educator or entertainment aficionado will treasure this exquisite homage to Henson, with its inspired and reverent walk through the creative impulse that drove his imaginative exploration of the field of television and innovative, masterful contributions to Sesame Street and Muppets Inc. Brian Jay Jones’s exquisitely crafted and descriptive storytelling—which has the support and endorsement of Henson’s family, friends, and collaborators—brings a sense of magic and wonder to the unfolding of Henson’s life, from his local beginnings at the University of Maryland and WRC, behind the scenes descriptions of famous and not-so-familiar sketches, to his international fame.