Muppets Character Encyclopedia: More Than 150 Muppets from Animal to Zoot

by Craig Shemin

Did you know that Miss Piggy was raised on a farm and has two nephews named Randy and Andy? Or that Gonzo's girlfriend, Camilla the Chicken, can be simply identified by the color of her eyes — they're blue! From Kermit the Frog, to Animal and Fozzie Bear, the gang's all here in The Muppets Character Encyclopedia , the perfect introduction to the Muppets. Each page of this fun and friendly guide features a different Muppet profile packed with tons of interesting facts about these beloved characters. With full bios of the characters from the new 2014 movie, The Muppets Character Encyclopedia is essential for any Muppet fan.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Childrens, Tv, Pop Culture

200 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2014

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Essential for all Muppet Fans but Be Warned, This Book Focusses Solely on the Main Muppet cast so No Fraggle Rock or Sesame Street or Dark Crystal.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for my Muppets-obsessed 4-year-old and became a hero. 😊

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s no secret that I am a giant fan of the Muppets in any way, shape or form. I love Sesame Street; I love the Muppets both old and new. I was thrilled to see the release of this book (timed for release with Muppets Most Wanted). It’s more suitable for children than adults, as it doesn’t tell you anything about how Muppets are constructed or who the puppeteers are. Still, it’s a fun book that will make you chuckle.

The book is certainly an extensive list of various Muppets. Younger children who haven’t seen the original Muppet Show may not know some of the characters (Mildred Huxtetter, anyone?) but it’s still interesting to read about them anyway. Major Muppets like Miss Piggy (naturally I had to put her first) and Kermit have more than one page devoted to them. The book also gets my tick of approval because it contains one of my favourite under-the-radar Muppets, Splurge. Splurge, although seen in the Muppet Movie, only has a major role in Hey Cinderella! (1965). He’s a big blue monster with a thing for radishes (you can get him to pull a pumpkin shaped coach by dangling a radish in front of him). Splurge is nearly impossible to find pictures of on the internet, so I’m pleased he’s here (I often use obscure Muppets for light relief in my lectures).

This book would be suitable for children who are new fans of the Muppets (probably 8 years and up could read it to themselves, otherwise parents reading to their children may need to have a limit of a number of Muppets per night!) or us older fans who thought we knew it all. The book demonstrates that there’s a lot of Muppets with smaller roles in some of the older/less popular productions. Note that this book doesn’t contain any of the Muppets from Sesame Street.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Vladimir Putin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know there were so many

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was obviously put out right around the time of Muppets Most Wanted - numerous mentions and relations to that movie make it hard to ignore. But beyond the cross-ties, is this a worthwhile guide? It's got a lot of Muppets in it, and provides a brief fictionalized description and a first appearance. It tries to be funny, but the humor isn't up to classic Muppet standards - and there are more eyeglass/sunglass jokes in this book than I think I've seen before in my life. The characters are all given a cursory introduction, no matter how primary a character they are (only the big 3-4 get more than a single page, and the second page/spread is usually only tangentially related). The photos and images are good, but beyond that, this manages to fail to be informative or entertaining. Here's to hoping that something that commits to either being informative or entertaining replaces it someday.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read, absolutely love the Muppets, though to be honest, there were a few I've never seen before and a few missing!

[Bridget's Quiet Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

[em arenstarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of The Muppets!

This book is so informative and fun! It’s got quite a good few Muppets in, obviously all of them can’t fit but they’ve got a great selection.

I love their little fact files and the fact it’s A-Z means everyone is easy to find! My favourites are Gonzo and Pepé 🥰

So happy to finally own this book, it is considered rare and I’ve been waiting a while!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and fun little book about the muppets.
I would have liked one that was a little more informative in terms of episode appearances, sizes of muppets, etc.
However, for a brief and silly overview of the characters, this book was awesome.

[Scott Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not exhaustive (no Sesame Street Muppets, for example) but it’s got most of the favourites. I’m pleased to have this in my library. It’s out of print and becoming increasingly difficult to find.

[Louise Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was an interesting look at the characters of the Muppets. Very hysterical descriptions !

[Anna Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Mabaiv · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mupets is a book based on a movie. The movie was totally great.

[Katie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge muppet fan so this was fun to read through. I really enjoyed seeing muppets I forgot about.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll love this book if you are a Muppet fan. I learned a few new things from the book that I didn't know about certain characters. I would like a bigger book with all of Jim Hensons creations!

[Lottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just a Encyclopedia on all things Muppets, I have only really watched the newer Muppet films and enjoyed them. If I'm being completely honest I don't really know why I bought this book as I'm not the biggest Muppets fan and didn't really know many of the characters.
It just gives a little bit of information on all the Muppets that have appeared on the TV show or the movies. I have to say that some of the images in the books are a little blurry which is a bit annoying.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part is the Muppet parodies of movies in the theater. The Dogfather is the parody.

[Keevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for any fan of The Muppets!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty comprehensive encyclopedia about all the various Muppet characters, due to rights issues with Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street.

There were a lot of characters that debuted in Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. It doesn’t mention that special/pilot. Maybe it means Muppet Show pilot? I don’t know why Disney shied away from the title. Maybe it’s taboo for them?

I don’t know.

I think Craig Shemin did a great job with this piece. Can’t wait to read his Sam and Friends book.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in an insomnia induced awakening at 3 am. It took about a half hour. It alphabetically lists many many Muppets, many of which most people would not have heard of, especially if, like me, they did not watch the Muppet show growing up. It has facts about the Muppets, some cute blurbs and when they debuted. It was an interesting read, but it was very brief.

[Estelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for the biggest Muppet fan and the newest. :)

I wrote a more extensive review at This Happy Place Blog.

[Richelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was an interesting book and I learned a lot about several unsung characters, I was disappointed that there wasn't more encyclopedic information. For example, the first appearance of the character would be listed as the episode or movie title, but did not list the date.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was an interesting book and I learned a lot about several unsung characters, I was disappointed that there wasn't more encyclopedic information. For example, the first appearance of the character would be listed as the episode or movie title, but did not list the date.

[Ron Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great if you want a cute, kid-friendly guide to the Muppet family. Pass if you're looking for something a little more serious.

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute. It was fun to learn back stories for some characters - and names for others! :)

[Malika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a very cute book. No, this is not a detailed history--so calm down, Superfans!-- but this is a a great bit of nostalgia on characters we've long loved. :)

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice children's encyclopedia of the Muppets!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had expected this to be more informational and encyclopedic. I did like seeing early characters or learning names of monsters and others I've seen for tears but never knee.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

2014: If you love the Muppets, this is the book for you. All (well most anyway) the Muppets are here with a bit of information. NOT including who voices them!