It's Not Easy Being Green and Other Things to Consider

As a record of Jim Henson's life, work, philosophy, parenting, and legacy, it's a nice book. There are excerpts from interviews with him and others, plus quotes from various Muppet projects, that help to illuminate how Henson saw the world and his place in it. However, I was hoping for quotes I could use for more universal inspiration - out of the context of Henson's life or the Muppet world - and I didn't find those. It's alright as a book for fans of Henson's and the Muppets, but it wasn't what I was hoping for.

"It's Not Easy Being Green" contains "uplifting quotes, stories, anecdotes, songs and insights" from Jim Henson himself (found in letters, texts, notes, etc) as well as some of his best-known characters from the Muppets, like Kermit the Frog as well as Sesame Street, The Dark Crystal, Fraggle Rock, and others, collected and put together by his daughter and some of his friends that had worked with him over the many years that he had been entertaining and inspiring children and adults alike.

I grew up watching Sesame Street and the Muppet Show, as well as anything else that Jim Henson created. My all-time favorite movie (and soundtrack) is, to this day, "The Dark Crystal" (a much beloved and one-of-a-kind movie). I also love Labyrinth (starring the late David Bowie, as well as many new Muppet characters).
I sometimes tell people I was "partially raised by Jim Henson" because he was an almost constant presence (in the form of his creations) as I grew up, and even to this day. And I could not pass up this book when I saw it, to once again visit with many well-known characters from my childhood as well as the late Jim Henson himself. He is still deeply missed.

A lovely and charming book, It's Not Easy Being Green is a worthy addition to the shelf of any Muppets fan. Friendship, creativity, and joy are all center-stage in this quote collection; funnily enough, those also happen to be some of the tenants of Henson's other brainchild: Sesame Street. Although not quite the philosophical manifesto of Jim Henson that I would've liked to see, the pure positivity that emanates from the jagged cut edges of this hardcover collectible is sure to make anyone smile.

This is a great collection of quotes: some inspiring, some heartwarming, and some amusing to bring us right back down to earth.

"Whenever characters become self-important or sentimental in the Muppets, then there's always another character there to blow them up immediately." -- Frank Oz

These aren't just Jim Henson quotes. His family and colleagues are quoted as well, giving us a sense at how much one man can inspire.

I'm just disappointed it wasn't longer. It definitely could have been.

It's literally all quotes, but I loved it. Kermit has always had a way of saying what you need to hear without leaving you feeling bad about yourself. In fact, the opposite, leaving you with hope.

5/5 Stars . . . It’s about the Muppets!

How can you not LOVE Jim Henson and the Muppets? If you don't, please discontinue reading and consider our friendship over. ;)
This was a really cute collection of wonderful quotes from various Muppet projects, guests of the Muppet Show, Henson himself, his family and other Muppet performers. I read much of this to my kids, as they also love the Muppets too. (That's how i know they're mine.) Here are some of my favourites from the book:

"It's not easy being green...
When green is all there is to be,
It could make you wonder why.
But why wonder, why wonder?
I am green, and it'll do fine
And I think it's what I want to be."
~Kermit

"The words say, 'it's not easy being green' but the song is about knowing who you are. Jim believed that people are good and that they want to do their best and that no matter how or why we might be different from anybody else, we should learn to love who we are and be proud of it."
~Ray Charles

"Jim inspired people to be better than they though they could be. To be more creative, more daring, more outrageous, and ultimately more successful. And he did it all without raising his voice."
~Bernie Brillstein

"If just one person believes in you
Deep enough and strong enough
Believes in you hard enough and long enough
Before you knew it, someone else would think
'If he can do it, I can do it'
Making it two. Two whole people who believe in you.
And maybe even you can believe in you too."
~Robin and the Muppet gang

"We see with our eyes. We know with our hearts."
~Cantus Fraggle

"Whatcha gonna do when the times get tough,
And the world's treatin' you unkind?
You've got to hang on to your optimistic outlook,
And keep possession of your positive state of mind."
~Dr. Teeth

"When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been there. It's a wonderful life and I love it."
~Jim Henson

"A child's use of imagination and fantasy blends into his use of creativity. The child can use his imagination to try out whole new directions. There are many ways of doing something."
~Jim Henson

"The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are."
~Jim Henson

"You know Bert, you're a real friend. I'm messy and you don't like it messy, but because I'm your friend, you don't mind too much if I'm messy."
~Ernie

"I really do believe that all of you are at the beginning of a wonderful journey. As you start traveling down that road of life, remember this: There are never enough comfort stops. The places you're going are never on the map. And once you get that map out, you won't be able to refold it no matter how smart you are.
So forget the map, roll down the windows, and whenever you can, pull over and have a picnic with a pig. And if you can help it, never fly as cargo."
~Kermit

"Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life, enjoy it."
~Jim Henson

"At some point in my life I decided, rightly or wrongly, that there are many situations in this life that I can't do much about: acts of terrorism, feelings of nationalistic prejudice, cold war, etc. So what I should do is concentrate on the situations that my energy can affect."
~Jim Henson

"Life's like a movie, write your own ending
Keep believing, keep pretending
We've done just what we set out to do
Thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you."
~Kermit and the Muppets

I previously read and reviewed the condensed version of this book:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

And though I still feel mostly the same way, I think I may be leaning a little more toward bad editing of the smaller book. Though Jim's wisdom is still not super-deep, it's still deeper than the short book would lead one to believe.

This version makes it ever more clear that Jim and Kermit are one and the same (like the sweet sound that calls the young sailors, and the voices that call your name when you're half asleep). Jim was a charismatic leader, a sweet man who harnessed joyful order from all the creative crazies surrounding him. He had vision and positivity, and created something wonderful.