Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons [Hardcover]

Kermit the Frog (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kermit follows up last year's It's Not Easy Being Green with this self-help memoir, in which he uses his life experiences-from his humble beginnings in a family of 2,353 through his fifty years in the entertainment business-to help readers lead a better life. Discussing his early career, Kermit admits to some less-than-sterling gigs ("I'd work naked") and the concessions he made to find a place show business: "I'd work with pigs. It seemed like a harmless egalitarian gesture at the time." Kermit's views on love in Chapter 12, "Love, Amphibian Style: Romancing the Pig and Other Warnings," come from his tumultuous relationship with Miss Piggy, as "love has always been defined by Miss Piggy (She even sent me a dictionary with our picture next to the word 'love.')." Miss Piggy also has business tips to offer in "Miss Piggy's Secrets of Success," and most of the Muppet cast makes an appearance in such features as "Fridays with Fozzie" and a Muppet roundtable that includes Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Floyd Pepper. Though his advice on handling the ups and downs of life isn't ground-breaking, Kermit's delivery is funny and gentle throughout, and bound to be a comfort to fans-especially during the downs (for which, see Chapter 8, "When Bad Things Happen to Good Frogs").
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Disney; 1St Edition edition (October 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696232324
• ISBN-13: 978-0696232329
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent grown-up book by a childhood favorite, November 9, 2006

By 

J. Smith (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons (Hardcover)

This book is fantastic. It parodies some of the best management and self-help books on the market today, yet still gives very useful information. If you are, or ever were a fan of the Muppets (which everyone should be!), then I highly recommend this book.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top-Notch For Teens, January 4, 2007

By 

Portianay "portianay" (KY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons (Hardcover)

Yes, I said teens, and adults, too! This is NOT a children's book, and the wisdom and tips herein are priceless. We are the people who grew up with Kermit, who trust him, love him, and patiently wait for him to either dump the pig or marry her.
The photos are superlative, the sagest bits are given in very funny "sketches," and the author himself is so endearing.
BUY IT! You won't be sorry.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kermit rocks!!, April 3, 2007

By 

Teh Ai Lee "Alice" (Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MALAYSIA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons (Hardcover)

I don't usually read this kind of book, but I decided to pick up Kermit's masterpiece in motivation and I have not regretted doing so. This delightful book is all about ridiculous optimism. Yes, you heard me right -- ridiculous optimism.

Quoting Kermit: If this book can drive you - and those around you - crazy with ridiculous optimism, then it has done its job. Who knows, maybe by reading these lessons from my life, you'll be inspired to drop your tail, leave your swamp, and set out on a journey that's just as amazing and wonderful as mine.

'Before You Leap' carries two parts. Part 1 is about his life: life of having over 2,353 family members; how he grew up from a little tadpole, then attending school, and then getting his legs; his search for significance and fame; how he got into showbiz and thereafter forming his own team of superstar performers; and his exciting relationship with the amorous Miss Piggy. Part 1 is rather hilarious.

Part 2 gets on to the more serious stuff for its readers. It's now lessons for your life and carries 14 croak-licious chapters. Serious though it may be, it still contains oodles of humor. Kermit interviewed his muppet gang on issues like money, strategies for work, strategies for school, exploring why bad things happen to everyone even to good frogs, and many more. There are lots of Kermit-tips too.

Are you ready for such an experience, an experience of ridiculous optimism? If you are, you so must read this book. Do it with an open mind and an open heart.

And if all of these are not enough, the photos of Kermit and gang will make your day. He is indeed a frog of many expressions. The pictures are simply marvelous and each one truly inspires me. He's close to being a perfect model and so are his muppet buddies!