Jim Henson Books

Fabulous. So many other reviewers have expressed the feelings this book gives you so much more eloquently, so I will leave mine with just that one word. Fabulous.

This book is fabulous. I ordered it from America to come to England as the current exchange rate made it cheaper to buy this book new than to buy it second hand in England, and the wait for shipping was worth it. There are some brilliant anecdotes from people working with Henson, and beautful pictures illustrating everything that ever went on in Jim Henson's studios, right up to unpublished notes that Henson wrote for a book.

This book is beautiful, and really interesting in looking at the work of Jim Henson.

Complete with full color pictures, as well as black and white photos of Jim's early years, this book is not only a great read. -It's fun to look at too! Even young children can sit and appreciate the magic of Jim Henson's creations through the artwork and photo-journalistic shots throughout.

This book contains a great deal of biographical information on Jim throughout his life, and includes a great deal of his earlier forrays into the world of experimental art and design.

Definitely a good buy.

It's hard to believe Jim Henson has now been gone for over 16 years. Christopher Finch's book stands as a great testament to Henson's amazingly prolific work and his larger-then-life existence. Despite Henson's natural shyness and reticence and quiet manner, the thing that strikes you in the book is how many lives this guy touched. He bestowed livelihoods on literally thousands of people. Their gratitude is expressed in these pages time and again in fervent, emotional recollections. To say Jim Henson inspired devotion only begins to get at what this guy meant to his family, friends and employees.

My hat is off to Christopher Finch for this wonderful collection, which is still available here as a beautiful and hardily-constructed first-edition hardback. Mr. Finch gets an extra level of respect for the decision (of which he no doubt had a say) to keep his name off the dustcover front. He's graciously stepped aside to let the lights shine warmly on Jim Henson.

I remember the day Jim Henson died. I was in complete shock. In fact, I sat there, first in disbelief and then before I knew it, I was sobbing. Did I know him, personally? No. Not really. I only knew the man through his creativity through his artistry, through what he gave to me as a child, a teenager, and as an adult. It seemed that no matter what age I was, the muppets and Jim Henson were always there.

My first introduction to them was through, of course, Sesame Street. My favorite characters were Bert and Ernie. In fact, my dad, to this day, feels as though my whole life has been patterned after Ernie. I did, love Ernie's sense of humor and his willingness to always laugh at himself no matter what he went through. I haven't always done this, but during those times when I took myself and the world too seriously, I always seemed to have "disastrous" results, but during those times where I have approached things with levity and with humor, I always felt as though I was more in control of the situation than instead of the situation controlling me. That's how the Ernie character was. He was always "in control" of things because he could laugh at things...even those things he felt scared of or worried about or frustrated over. Sometimes I watch clips of Sesame Street and I am always amazed at "human" those skits were. Even though they were acted out by muppets, they were things that a child or even an adult might be feeling about certain things. Those skits always had a deep sense of humanity about them. They were never condescending or degrading. They always spoke to the spirit of the individual and that is a very rare thing to be able to pull off and pull off consistently and effectively.

Jim Henson seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the human soul. He knew it in its folly and in its wisdom. Kermit the Frog is a character that, I heard, mostly resembles Jim Henson. He seems to be surrounded by craziness and disorder and chaos. But instead of being consumed by it, he deals with it. He makes the most of it. And isn't that really what we are to do in any given situation? I think sometimes we "fight" too hard, when really, maybe what we really need to do is throw up our hands and let the "stream of Life" take us to where we need to go....

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is but a dream

And then there were the Muppet Movies. Even though I was in my early teens when the first one came out, I secretly went to it. I loved Jim Henson's humor. It was gentle and non-abrasive and yet there were, at times, sarcastic undertones. Not that he was being malicious or mean-spirited, but sometimes in our exasperation or frustration, we do get sarcastic because sometimes things are so absurd, so strange, so ultimately crazy, that sarcasm is warranted in that particular situation.

Jim Henson left this world at such a young age. I believe he was only 54. But with everything he did, he gave the world all of himself. He never held back, he never skimped out, he always gave each and every production he was involved with, his all. Maybe it's something we can learn to do, as well. To stop looking at how we'll be compensated or reimbursed, but to just start knowing and feeling that the universe will always take care of the details and that we will be compensated many times over if we give the world all of our mind, all of our heart, all of our soul because like the universe itself, our minds, hearts, and souls are connected to that which is Infinite, Inexhaustible, Immeasureable...we are all connected to Life Itself.

Jim Henson knew this. Jim Henson lived this. And I thank him from the bottomless bottom of my heart. I know that he is not resting in peace, because that wasn't his style, but he probably has the next life "in pieces" with his humor, his creativity, and his joy for life Itself.

Peace and Blessings, Fellow Beings of Light and Love...

Basically it is a mix between the original 2 scripts for the movie, making it pretty much twice as awesome!

Those random small things that left you hanging in the movie such as where does the Left Knocker lead?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Ah, another George Lucas movie. Well now its a awesome book. I personally love it as much as Star Wars. Its a strange tale, of a strange girl, who gets trapped in a strange land....wow, does that sound familiar. This is my favourite book! I love it more than Interveiw with the Vampire! and thats alot of love!

If you liked the movie, then you'll love this book. I bought a mint condition copy for about seventy dollars last year, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Like the movie, the book tells of a young girl draw into a fantasy world by her own overactive imagination in order to save her little brother, who has been stolen by the goblin king, who says he is only seeking favor in her eyes, and seems to have fallen in love with her.

The book follows the storyline of the movie exactly, but offers more insight into the characters thoughts and actions. I can remember in particular that the ballroom scene was quite staggeringly more descriptive. A wonderful book, worth the price; espescially if you can find one in good condition.

this book is worth every penny... its a story about a day dreaming girl who wishes her little brother to a land of goblins castles and of course the labyrinth. if you dont want to spent 50 dollars on this book you CAN GET IT FOR FREE.. just google it and youll find the transcript of the book that you can print out and read.. its not like having the book... but its way cheaper..

gosh, i was six when i first saw the movie! now that i'm eighteen makes no difference how i love this enchanting story.

smith brings the story up to another level, as he dwelves deeper into sarah's feelings... and also jareth's. the chemistry between the two is undeniable. i would like to think that in another situation both of them would be together, albeit the fact that she's mortal and he a goblin prince.

smith's writing is of course, very detailed and deep, and he tries to explain all the different meanings and reads between the lines of the movie. he has us vying for the king, and rooting for the good guys, too. he makes us want jareth to have a happy ending, and perhaps one with sarah. he makes us want to see the movie.

well, maybe the movie IS old, and the special effects kind of horrid by today's standards, but truth be, enchantments are timeless.

This is a perfect training book. The way it is writen keeps my two year old interested. She even knows the song now. It doesn't recommend rewards or any odd words that you may not want to have your child use for pee and poo. It talks about wanting to be older and do what the big kids do...use the potty. Buy it, you will enjoy this book. Recommended for girls because of Miss Piggy...it's too bad that they didn't do one with Kermit.

this book is the best potty training book available to kids. i used this book 11 years ago when i was getting potty trained. and now the child next door that i help babysit is using the book. i loved this book. and so does Lauren (the child next door). every child should get the expierence of reading this book for potty training.

My child loves this book. I must read it to her six or seven times a day. She sings along to the song with a row row row your boat melody. When my girlfriend or myself are not reading this book to her she attempts to sing the song anyways. My daughter can relate to the troubles of not being able to have her diaper changed exactly when needed and the inconvenience of having it changed so frequently. We have a toilet for her and when the book says hello potty she goes over to it and waves. It is the cutest thing ever! Without this book I think we would be miles away from potty training my beautiful baby girl.

When my youngest sister turned 3, she wanted to learn how to use the potty. I got this book at our local library and it really helped her learn to use the potty and wear underpants. This is a great book to teach your child to go potty. Get this book at your local library or bookstore and teach your child what it feels like to use the potty.

my child is now proud of wearing diapers. the first line in the book is --Do you wear diapers?-- my kid laughs and says yes and pats his diaper. He doesn't relate to her dislike of diaper rash or having to sit in it when mommy doesn't have time to change it. Also this book talks about diaper pins and tape which is outdated even for cloth diaper users. So this book has had the opposite effect by no error of the writers; I didn't expect that reaction when i bought it! Really is probably a decent book for every other child in the world

It was delightful to read and look at. Since I also enjoy reading movie scripts- it's even better to SEE what's going on in the movie at that time. Plus, there's a load of deleted scenes, and fantastic movie pictures as well. This is a MUST for all MirrorMask fans.

Writer Neil Gaiman has crafted dozens of dark fantasy books and graphic novels over the years; the only thing to expect from him is stuff that is a bit twisted and bizarre. In a good way, that is.

But in 2001, he embarked on a different kind of creative journey: Penning "Mirrormask," a Carroll-ian fantasy movie, directed by book illustrator (and Gaiman collaborator) Dave McKean. While the movie isn't yet out, the screenplay is a lavish affair with concept art, photos and background information.

Helena is a bored young girl in the circus, wanting a taste of real life. But then real life strikes: During a performance, her mother falls seriously ill and is hospitalized. Unhappy and directionless, Helena falls into another world -- a bizarre place full of masked people, griffins, orbiting giants and malevolent shadows.

She is soon told by the Prime Minister that an evil princess (who resembles her) has stolen a magical charm, sending the Queen of that city into a coma -- and her city into chaos. With the comically mercenary Valentine at her side, Helena finds herself sent on a dangerous quest to find the charm -- the mysterious Mirrormask.

Half of "Mirrormask"'s appeal is the eerie presentation, along with an archetypical heroine and opposing light/dark kingdoms. And it's a credit to both McKean and Gaiman that their screenplay is a good read on its own, letting eager fans know what to expect when the film finally sees the light of day.

What sets "Mirrormask: The Illustrated Film Script" apart from most screenplays? The fact that Gaiman and McKean included storyboard pictures with the dialogue. It's not easy to visualize what's happening in a movie just by reading the script, and so the storyboard images let the readers follow the dialogue more easily.

And of course: the photographs -- weird ones, usually patched together with surreal CGI, computer animation and wild makeup. Valentine's masklike face in particular is odd, but strangely convincing. There are even some behind-the-scenes photographs, including bluescreen shots and faux-aged pictures of anti-Helena.

To add to the wealth of information, the correspondence between McKean and Gaiman about this film, abbreviations and grammatical errors intact. "Fantasy stories rely on cliche too much, fairy stories about fairies I think are pointless, fairy stories about the people who need to believe in fairies I think are fascinating," McKean writes in one letter.

"Mirrormask" seems to be what one would expect from a Gaiman creation: Weird, strange, and surreal, yet also funny and touching. And for anyone anticipating the film, "Mirrormask: the Illustrated Script" is a must-have.

First of all, i must say that i'm a big fan of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi book's, film's and graphic novel's.
As a painter, short stories writer, and graphic novella's author i may say that the Mirrormask is a great ''drive trough'' the world of magic, fantasy, and imagination of today's acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman, and my favorite painter, photographer, and one of a kind artist Dave McKean.
I'll make this short.
All of you that are interested in a way of making a good scenario, and a great storyboard, you SHOULD have this amazing book!
It helped me to see and to realise how to think, and how to make my own ideas come true!
Dave McKean is one of my favorite artists, and trust me, you'll like this book!
Also, i want to recommend you his earlier work, such as Violent Cases, Black Orchid, and Batman - Arkham Asylum.
So much about this now, and be well my friends!
Greetings from wounded city of magic: Sarajevo!

This is a great book, not similar to illustrated graphic novel of McKean or a text book from Gaiman but this book has entire script and storyboards of the film. What a great share what a great book idea thanks. Very useful source for both cinema and design students or professionals beyond to get taste for makin of this magic film.

...in black...

If I had to sum up MirrorMask in one sentence, I would describe it as 'an allegory about Individuation'. This was Jung's term for the process by which we integrate or align the personal with the universal consciousness and ultimately become whole.

If Neil's script seems lacking in emotional fluidity at times, it is probably a deliberate mechanism to convey the varying degrees of emotional shutdown that people experience when transitioning between developmental states.

Just as with Alice In Wonderland, Snow White, Peter Pan and The Wizard Of Oz, the story involves a young female's transition to womanhood and all of the pantheon of archetypal combatants that invokes.

While Dorothy needed the mechanism of the ruby slippers (the moonblood of the Sacred Feminine) to get back 'Home' and restore order - the sacrificed Feminine - it is the magic of the MirrorMask itself that enables the healing of spiritual wounds (identity/alienation) in Neil and Dave's visually striking masterpiece.

The bottom line? Oz is Kansas.

Lord knows when I'll get to see the film, but having read this stunning 'guide', I can't wait, damn it. Ten stars.

There's a light, over at the Gaiman place...

This book helped my daughter get ready to say "bye bye" to her
pacifier. She still likes to read the book even now that the pacifier is gone.

I bought my daughter this book two weeks ago. She is two months shy of 3 years old. She has always been tremendously comforted by her binky. We have been limiting her binky use to naps and bedtime and extreme distress for quite a while now, but have been anxious for her to get rid of it. After a week of reading this book, she turned to me and said, "I'm not ready, Mommy." I told her she'd be ready one day. One week later, yesterday morning, she woke up saying, "Mommy, I'm ready to say Bye Bye Binky!" I am convinced it's because of this book. I asked her what she wanted to do with the binky and she said "Throw it in the trash." And that she did. She was aware that Baby Miss Piggy doesn't throw hers in the trash, but we kind of glossed over that part. My daughter appreciated that the first time Nanny suggests that Baby Piggy is too old for the pacifier, she said she still wanted it and did get it back. I think it helps, too, that the book has a part where Baby Piggy says she feels kind of silly because her friends don't use a pacifier anymore. I know my daughter gave up her binky on her own two months ago at preschool for that very reason. At first I thought this book would be too babyish for my daughter, but it clearly wasn't.

Baby Piggy loves her pacifier. She uses it every day. Then, one day, her baby-sitter asks her if she can play without it. Piggy tries to play without it for a few minutes, but she gets upset, so her baby-sitter gives it back. Until one day, Piggy realizes that none of her friends use a pacifier. From that day on, Piggy gave up her pacifier and her baby-sitter took it away. I got this book from our old local library and it helped my sister to say bye-bye to her pacifier.

Santa sent this book to my son when he was three and still using his pacifier. When I read this cute book to my son that Santa sent, he imediatly threw away his pacie and never said anything about it again. I believe he made this decission because the book came from Santa. It was signed in the back of the book, " Dear Tony , you are a big boy now and it is time to say Bye Bye to your pacifier, Love, Santa Clause. Thanks Santa, for a wonderful book that helped solve a little problem.

Santa sent this book to my son when he was three and still using his pacifier. When I read this cute book to my son that Santa sent, he imediatly threw away his pacie and never said anything about it again. I believe he made this decission because the book came from Santa. Thanks Santa, for a wonderful book that helped solve a little problem.

This book was recommended in Harvey and Goudvis's book "Strategies That Work". What a beautiful book! It is so powerful in presenting these statements, yet the use of Muppet characters does not present a grotesque picture for young children. I've never seen a book impact students' thinking of the world in the way that this book does. Could great reviews like the ones published on your site possibly encourage the initial publisher to re-print this book once again? I believe every classroom teacher and parent should have a copy of this book as we continue to become a more global society.

I purchased this book for my daughter when she was 3. It has become a favorite. She has taken it to school for Show-n-Tell. Her teacher read it to the class and I was told it brought tears to many of the children. Each time I sit down with my daughter to read it, she has so many questions about it. What a shame that this book has gone out of print. What a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about others who are less fortunate. Our copy will be a forever treasure indeed.

I was so disappointed to find out this book was out of print. It is a book every parent and every teacher should share with their children. In fact - many adults should keep one on their coffee table - a great conversation piece... an inspiration to realize and treasure what we have in life and realize that so, so many people do not have these basic necessities!! (I heard rumor that they were going to reissue this book. If they do - I'll buy a stock for gifts!!!)

Here is a book written for any age - from preschool through adult. As a parent and a teacher, I can't recommend it enough to others. Thankfully, our local library has this book in circulation and my son chose it. Otherwise, I may have never known it existed. I just can't understand how this book escaped all the literary awards and media attention that other books have earned. Even worse, I find it hard to believe that it is out of print!!! My undergraduate degree was International Studies, and I know of no other children's book that teaches relevant concepts with such simplicity and sensitivity - in a way that any age can begin to appreciate.

Perhaps the most important, moving book my 3 and 4 year olds own. Addresses serious global issues in a way that young children can understand, without ever being condescending. Illustrations are upsetting,but well worth explaining to even the youngest kids. Shows a larger veiw of the world than little ones often get to see.

This book is fabulous. I grew up watching these stories come to like on the Jim Henson Hour, and I love having these stories at my finger tips. The stories are very intersting and original. The art work in the book is also fabulous!! They match the television portrail of story exactly. I am so glad that I am able to read and share these stories with my friends and family!

The television series was one of the best things ever to be shown on TV, but it's more than worthwhile to pick up this book just to be able to focus on Anthony Minghella's (yep, he of "The English Patient") way with words. Minghella doesn't just write good narration, he writes good, old-fashioned *story-telling* Like, say, Kipling's "Just-So Stories," Minghella's "The Storyteller" captures the language of the very best tale tellers.

Many years ago my family sat around the television, wide eyed and filled with magic; we were watching the Jim Henson Storyteller series. We waited and waited for it to reappear one day- to no avail. But FINALLY, a book! To be able to relive the "hugs and snoodles" of Hans My Hedghog, the stone soup tale of a "Story Short"- all of it beautifully, and creatively written, with illustrations to match- will take you back to your childhood. I find it hard to believe this has yet to be discovered. Don't miss the videos that are now out, at long last!

Perfection is the TV series that preceded this book. Of course, I must gloat and say that I knew all those many years ago that Anthony Minghella was the most exquisite writer I had ever heard/read. His words coupled with the genius of Jim Henson and company made for the best (no exaggeration) thing ever to be broadcast on television. To be able to read the words from these shows and have them readily available on your bookshelf is heaven. I've been recommending the TV series and this book for years. I still recommend it today.

Just so you know, all 9 episodes of The Storyteller are now out on a single DVD - something many of us have been waiting for for years. This book is, I think, the original screenplay of Jim Henson's Storyteller series because it follows *very* closely to the stories and dialogue seen on TV. The illustrations are also taken from the show and are very nice. The written word is different from television, however, and these stories take on a different light often in one versus the other, and there are some expansions here that didn't make the final editing cuts.

My kid and I love "The Storyteller" series, and this book is a pleasant addition for bedtime reading.

This was absolutely my favorite books as a child. Each night I would pick out a book for my mom to read to me and to her surprise (or not so much), I chose this almost every night. I know she hoped that I would pick something new, but I loved the way she used expression and voices with each character. The sweet message to this book is learning why it's important to share...even when you don't want to.

I had to buy this because my older son could not stand to part with his for his brothers sake! My eldest has the original that I had as a kid, so when I found this for such a good deal I couldn't pass it up to give to my youngest for his library. :)

This is one fun book, especially if you take on the character's voices. I read it so many times to my children when they were little, that after the book got destroyed, I was still able to quote it almost word-for-word! Time has dulled my memory, so wanted another book to refresh it. It's a delightful Sesame Street Book!

This book was hilarious. My daughter could not wait for me to get to the next page so that she could see what was going to happen next. It's even more fun when you do the actual voices of the characters (you have to be a fan of Sesame Street to pull this off). The book is also a teaching tool for sharing. It makes reading fun, and now my daughter can read it to me, word for word!

This is a very cute book. A witch owns an enchated cookie tree. Seeing Cookie Monster from Sesame Street on the horizon, the witch makes a quick spell to allow the tree only to give cookies to those who share the cookies. Cookie Monster ("Me need someone to share with")tries to convince all of his friends on Sesame Street to go back to the cookie tree so that they can share the cookies. Back at the cookie tree, the witch has become extremely unhappy with her spell: since she has no one to share with, the cookie tree won't allow her to have any cookies. Eventually things work out for everyone! This is a delightful story with great humor from Cookie Monster and your favorite characters from Sesame Street. A fun story with a great lesson for everyone!

The title of this book is somewhat misleading. "Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles" is as much a biography of Henson as a gallery of his artwork. Admittedly, the biographical details focus on Henson's career, rather than his personal life, but the fact still remains that the text still takes up about as much space as the pictures themselves. I think that this is something that people should be aware of if they are thinking of purchasing this book. I, for one, was hoping to see more of Henson's artwork, and was somewhat disappointed at the sparseness of it. Nevertheless, this is still a worthwhile book.
This is the first (and only, as far as I am aware) book to contain Henson's early sketches and artwork, and any fan of the Muppets is likely to find this fascinating. It is possible, through these pictures, to see how many of the Muppets have evolved. For example, in Henson's original sketches, Oscar the Grouch was purple with a long, skinny neck, a far cry from the green monster who now appears on "Sesame Street". Furthermore, in spite of the fact that I wish there was less text and more pictures, I did find the text to be of interest when I finally sat down and read it.

Hopefully, there will one day be a second book, featuring more of Henson's artwork. However, until then, this is all that is available and provided that you are aware of the limitations of this book, you shouldn't be too disappointed.

I ordered this book for my daughter who loves Jim Henson & the Muppets as a birthday present, and is a professional puppeteer inspired by Jim Henson. She absolutely loves this book and I highly recommend anything Jim Henson related as he was a pioneer in this area and one of the most creative people on the planet.

This is a must for all you muppet fans!

The wonderful new long awaited book, Jim Henson's Desings and Doodles is almost a museum on paper. It shows Jim's best artwork, from storyboards, to puppet desingns, even a very early Kermit sketch. The book also features a never before seen look at the never produced special, "Johnny Carson and The Muppet Machine" which was to be a physcedelic trip into the 1960's. The artwork is very detailed, and even has a stone carving of Ed Macmahon! The book also shows some of his early work, including silkscreen images of meloncholy (which was inspired by the death of his brother , Paul) and concert posters and crazy characters who were soon to be Frackles!

One of the best parts of the book is Henson 's early commercial storyboards, which feature the two popular commercial Muppets ,Wilkins and Wontkins, Hansel and Gretel Muppets, and Kermit, The Snerfs and Rowlf (the IDEAL doll ad where Kermit sings the unfamilliar jingle"Oh buy us, oh buy us, oh buy us we beg! If you do not buy us, we'll bite you in the leg!!!) . Early drawings of the La Choy Dragon, and Nutty Bird(Royal Crown soda ads, precursor to Big Bird) are also featured.

The book brings us for the first time many illustrations of show ideas that never made it to the small screen. The Zoocus (The Zoo Circus), The Entertainers, and Martian Landing are all examples shown by illustrations from Jim's fertile imagination. The Zoocus was to be a show full of new Muppets such as Mr. Ripple and Carbourator Jones and had a guest star on each show (Sound like TMS to you?). The show would be a variety but would mostly ,as shown in Henson's drawings,be a talk show with the guest, where the Muppets would lounge behind large alters and other sets. The Entertainer was to be a show about a travelling vaudevillian show where Muppet men (and a can can girl) would sing popular songs at the time. This was also to be a Variety type show. Martian Landing would feature Muppet Koosebaine like creatures that would swap jokes and do skits on another planet. It was to be a Live variety show. It ashame these didn't get aired.

This book has so much I haven't mentioned yet, (I don't want to spoil it!) and it is definetly worth every penny. By far, one of my favs. among a long line of Muppet Books. Enjoy!

I have always been a Jim Henson fan. After all, I grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. I was always fascinated with the strange and creative creatures that he came up with. This book is a gold mine of his ideas and sketches - some that you will recognize and some that you have probably never seen.

This is sort of an odd book for me to have. I don't collect books based on movies or TV shows. But this one doesn't really fall into that category at all. It's more of an artist's diary and sketchbook. I enjoy just paging through it to look at all of the wonderous things Jim Henson imagined. His work seems to have something "odd" to it that I can somehow connect with and be fascinated by it.

I think anyone who has enjoyed Jim Henson's productions will probably enjoy looking through this book. It's an adventure to page through time after time.

Jim Henson was a man who managed to sum up the whole intire feeling of what it was to be young, and full of energy in his fantastic creations. His work, from Mupets to films such as 'Labyrinth' and 'The Dark Crystal', showed us that he could tap that part of our minds that wanted to let go, and be free to live in our fantasies. This book, unlocks the back door to the mind that created our most cherished characters from the Henson world. It shows us where these characters came from, and also gives us an insight to the man who made it all happen. I found this book to be a real Gem, and an adventure. Just seeing the doodles Jim did as a child, or a teen, and some of his non character based art work, was fascinating. Buy this book If you are a fan of Mr hensons work. It is not the most complete book, as far as his other projects go, and some people may wish that some of his film work had got into the book. But for those that like to get closer to their idols, and want to feel like a close friend looking through his old scrapbooks, get this book. You won't be dissapointed.

This book is great if you want to learn more about the movies that the creature workshop did instead of Jim Henson. Although it does talk alot about him it's more about the workshop he created and left behind. It's a grest book if you love Jim Henson's work and I do !Get it it's great!

If you're a fan of Henson's work you'll absolutely die for this book! It's got great coverage over his past movies to 91. Some include The Dark Crystal, The great muppet Caper, and my personal favorite: THe Labyrinth!

Since skipping school to go and watch 'Labyrinth'. I've been fascinated with animatronics. The creatures produced both during and after Jim Henson have been both imaginative and captivating. 'No Strings Attached' is a wonderful book of mechanical invention, artistry and imagination. Being someone who loves to watch 'The making of..' specials on TV whenever a new special-effects blockbuster comes out, I found this book catered to my 'Wow! How did they do that?' curiosity. I am a great fan of puppetry but I am a biased fan of Jim Henson...if you buy this book, turn to page 112, the girl kneeling on one knee on the bottom right corner is yours truly!

An outstanding piece of work, beyond overdue, but worth the wait. This beautifully presented, comprehensive book covers "Jim Henson's Creature Shop's" work from its very inception, including such Fantasy films as `The Dark Crystal' and `Labyrinth,' right up to their most recent stunningly realistic contributions in `Babe,' `101 Dalmatians,' and `Buddy.' Includes glorious full colour photographs of what happened behind-the-scenes, and plenty of anecdotes from the people who were there explaining the evolution of ideas into finished product.

Any fan of the legendary Jim Henson, of puppeteering, animatronics, or any kind of Special Effects would love - and be enthralled by - the hundreds of never-before-seen photographs of the masters of their craft creating their wonderful characters, and at how the late Jim Henson's influence even now instills the performers and craftspeople with the drive to be nothing less than the best at what they do.
I so dearly wanted to meet Jim one day; this book may be the closest I'll get. Still, I may be fortunate enough to instead meet his son Brian, who has taken over from his father admirably.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It will be an inspiration to all who read it.