Hey, This Was Really Fun!: A memoir from Sesame Street to The Big Blue House & beyond

by Noel MacNeal

What you’re going to read is Noel MacNeal’s life in “the business we call show.” He’s an Emmy nominated puppeteer. That’s right - a puppeteer. It’s his life and the lessons he’s learned as a little pink bird, a baby dragon, a ninja turtle, a precocious inner-city kid, a lion cub, a profane squirrel, a bear in a big blue house, and on occasion a very big bird. Plus, all the monsters, grouches, talking food, writing, directing, producing, and appearances he’s done along the way to this back cover. Because a grown man could make up many things.

This is not one of those occasions.

272 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2023

Reviews

[Katie Lastella]

Growing up watching many of Noel’s shows, this book was a lovely read. His narration had me laugh multiple times, and reading about his career and personal life was really fun.

[David Solove]

A delightful read with fun, behind-the-scenes looks at some of your favorite shows from the perspective of a very talented, big-hearted, insightful human being. I very much enjoyed this memoir.

My only criticism: the book is in desperate need of proofreading.

[Eric Z.]

Got this as a Father's Day gift from my son, who loved Bear in the Big Blue House as a child. MacNeal has lived quite a life both personally and professionally, and he writes in detail about each. Of course, my main interest was his time doing Bear, but he also talks about his extensive work on Sesame Street, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Last Week Tonight with Jon Oliver, and more. MacNeal admits this memoir is self-published, and it's glaringly obvious—the odd oversized softcover format, the Times New Roman font, and the many typos and misused words: "milk toast," accept/except, etc. (Note to self-publishers: have your manuscript read by a friend or colleague with some kind of writing or editorial background.) If you or a loved one has fond memories of Sesame Street or Bear, it's worth a read; just be prepared for some spelling speedbumps along the way.

[Taylor Orns]

Reading this book was like sitting down having a conversation with a friend. It was really interesting to hear about Noel’s experiences in the business, especially with the childhood shows I grew up with, Bear in the Big Blue House being one of the big ones. As a young adult with Autism, it was really cool to read what he wants to do to help the Autism community. If you grew up with Bear, Sesame Street, or any shows like that, READ THIS BOOK.

[Matt McKenna]

It filled me with joy, comfort and happiness in recognition! especially if you grew up with most of the shows he was in l did! No spoilers of course, however my favorite part is the story Noel tells when helping people with write an episode of the Israel version of Sesame Street