Customer Reviews

The Muppets Make Puppets: How to Create and Operate Over 35 Great Puppets Using Stuff from Around Your House

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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This book is entertaining and well written, both for adults and children. Contains some great tips on how to make eyes, noses, hair etc. for puppets and how to animate the finished products. However, if you are looking for a book on how to make muppet-style puppets or stuffed animal style puppets, this is not the one. Most of the puppets described in the book are 'wooden spoon' or sock puppets - cute, nice for kid's projects but not professional looking. To its credit, this book does contain lots of ideas and insights which could make it a good accompanying book to some other more definitive puppet making book.

As an adult who was having a tough time finding anything on puppet construction, I bought this book. But it provided not only the basics for a still perfectly functiong hand and rod moveable mouth puppet, but it continues to delight the children who are introduced to it. The book focuses on easily obtainable supplies around the house and unleashes inumerable hours of laughter and creativity. So many possibilities exist, every child could make a different puppet from this book over the English speaking audience. A book for children, it is exceptionally well tailored to be as sophisticated and unaffected as children are, and yet it continues to fascinate, motivate and inspire this middle aged degreed Artist to make puppets from the basics learned in this book. It is a Treasure I will never throw away. Amazing that someone could cut through the red tape, get to the point so effortlessly and so appealingly. Like the muppets, whose building inspired the book, there is something here for everyone. From the hand puppets, to revealing insights on the Muppeteers themselves, this book is perfectly illustrated and pleasing and easy to the eye. A must read, and the perfect Craft and puppet making book for all ages and all times.

This book has so many great ideas using many easy to find objects. It even includes a little packet with 2 pairs of eyes, some faux fur, a few feathers and other sundries. The day this book arrived, my daughter and I made 3 puppets. In the next several days we made many more out of socks, oven mitts and other things that were just laying around the house. If you hate to throw things away, you'll love this. After reading the book, you'll start looking at your trash with new eyes. Old paper towel rolls, band-aid tins, fabric scraps, plastic spoons, small plastic bottles you might throw out, sponges, pot scrubbers, erasers--all these things can be transformed into puppets.

My only quibble is that the suggested reading level is ages 4-8. My nearly five-year-old can't do these projects alone, (I also use a hot glue gun, so it's too hot for her) so I've ended up letting her direct what goes where on the puppets. I think a six year-old working with less dangerous adhesives could do many of the projects himself, and I think kids even older than the age range would find the projects fun, especially if they have little siblings or an opportunity to teach younger kids. (Like helping out at Sunday school).

The book is full of projects that are easy to do right away, don't cost much money or require special trips to the craft store and let your child develop her imagination/creativity/emotional skills.

I bought this book expecting little more than sharing some arts-and-crafts time with my kids that also blended with my interests in puppetry and the Muppets. Big surprise -- this book is full of good, basic advice on puppet manipulation, voice, and puppet building. My daughter and I have already made one of the puppets, involving gardening gloves, ping-pong balls, and feathers, and each of us came up with something different and delightful. The addition of some small supplies to get the aspiring puppet builder started is very nice, but this would have been a good buy even without that.

Fabulous ideas for making puppets and recycling everyday items. You will never look at objects the same, because you will learn how to give just about anything life. A great inspirtion for begining to professional puppeteers and even kids.

This book could be the catalyst for your puppet-making creativity. A combination of great ideas, whimsical details, colorful photos, and real Muppet stories is as inspirational as it is fun to read. Adults and children alike will enjoy the projects in this book, including my personal favorite: the fuzzy garbage-can puppet (you step on its foot and its mouth opens).

If you've ever marvelled at the great puppets used by the Muppeteers, this book is for you. It will get you started on the road to finding your inner Muppet and creating some fun friends on the way.

I teach puppetry to middle school and high school students at a local library. I find this book to be just terrific. I have made a few puppets in the book such as the spoon puppet (used that in a workshop with middle school students), a mop puppet, and Garbagio. There are some vague instructions but I think that was designed to enhance creativity more than anything else.I was able to pass along a lot of great ideas to my students thanks to the hints from this book!

BOTH OF MY CHILDREN AGES 3 AND 6 LOVE THIS BOOK, ON A RAINY DAY I GET THIS OUT AND THEY ARE BUSY FOR HOURS, I'VE TAKEN THIS ON FAMILY VACATIONS WHERE ALL THE CHILDERN THERE PUT ON A PUPPET SHOW USING THIS BOOK, AND SUCH CREATIVITY!

This book helps kids transform neat puppets into extraordinary ones. There are great ideas for developing characters, as well. Worth its weight in gold.

this book is very useful and has great ideas. I am a child and youth care worker that uses theatre as a medium. One of the components I do is puppets work. The pictures are wonderful, and great for the visual learner. A must buy!