Minor Book Mentions

The following is a list of Muppet Mentions made in books outside of the Henson/Sesame fold, which are too brief or minor to constitute having their own page in the Book Mentions category.

A Child's Introduction to Ballet

This instructional picture book written by Laura Lee and illustrated by Meredith Hamilton includes a line of trivia on the back cover: "Which famous ballet dancer did a duet with Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show? (page 81)" The answer is Rudolf Nureyev, however his dancing partner in episode 213 was not Miss Piggy.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Early in this novel by Jeff Kinney, there is a drawing of the main character (Greg Heffley)'s little brother (Manny), who is watching TV. The TV set is presumably tuned to Sesame Street due to the speech balloon which is saying, "C is for Cookie, and cookie is for me!"

In the third book in the series (The Last Straw), at Greg's friend Rowley Jefferson's sleepover, the six-year-olds invited are interested in Sesame Street "or whatever", "instead of girls," according to Greg.

Ghostwritten

Chapter 3, "Hong Kong", of this novel by David Mitchell contains a couple of mentions. In particular, one evening the narrator (of that chapter) notes one liasion during which Sesame Street is on the television in the background. (It specifically mentions watching Big Bird, Ernie and Bert sing a song about a magic E that makes the A say its name. See page 90 to 91 of the paperback version of the book. Also the word Fraggle is used in Chapter 9 "Night Train", see p. 384 of the paperback version.

Illustration of the "Muppets Make Manhattans" cocktail

Gone With the Gin

Tim Federle's 2015 book of movie-inspired cocktail recipes includes "The Muppets Make Manhattans".

Goodnight Gorilla

In Peggy Rathmann's book, the armadillo at the zoo in this popular toddler book has an Ernie doll in his cage.

The Harvard Mystique

On the front cover of the book, the title briefly read "The Harvard Mystique: The Power Syndrome That Affects Our Lives, From Sesame Street To The White House".

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Kevin Clash is mentioned among the notable people who were raised in Turner Station, Maryland.

Inside Larry & Sergey's Brain

In Richard L Brandt's biography of Larry Page and Sergey Brin there are at least two minor Muppet mentions. On page 3 he writes describing Larry Page "He rarely volunteers to answer questions unless specifically asked to address them. When he does, it's with a methodical intonation that sounds like a baritone version of Kermit the Frog". Then on page 53, while describing the formation of Page and Brin's company Google he writes "The first person they brought in, Craig Silverstein, is a computer geek in their own spiritual image. He looks the part. Short and slender, with a Stan Laurel chin and a usually shy demenour, in his spare time he runs an online fansite about Muppets."

Kids Are Weird: And Other Observations from Parenthood

A page from Jeffrey Brown's comedy book features a child's reaction to the Elton John episode of The Muppet Show.

King Dork

A 2006 young adult novel by Frank Portman, King Dork follows the adventures of a high-school sophomore named Tom Henderson during the craziest semester of his life.

While watching two competing goth metal bands at his high school's Festival of Lights, Tom tells the reader that "both singers were trying as hard as they could to impersonate the Cookie Monster".

Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy

"Hate - Roasting Miss Piggy" is featured on pages 205 to 206. The author prefaces his comments by stating that "Jim Henson is a genius, not a word I use lightly." He goes on to describe Frank Oz and his various Muppet performances. In regard to Miss Piggy, he states that she is the "... most popular Muppet and the least funny, most obnoxious yet bland, culturally influential of Henson's creations." He also laments her "trilled catchphrase" — Moi? — and comments that he would "like nothing more than to see her roasted on an invented garbage-can-top platter held aloft by Oscar the Grouch, a rotten apple stuffing her mouth into silence."

Little Brother

In chapter 12, the main character, Marcus, purchases "a T-shirt that had a Photoshop image of Grover and Elmo kicking the grown-ups Gordon and Susan off Sesame Street," as part of the growing "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25" popularity.

Never Can Say Goodbye

Subtitled Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York, this 2014 book includes 27 essays from famous personages (mostly writers) about New York City. In "City of Mundane Fantasy", Elliott Kalan writes of his childhood affection for the mundanities of Manhattan life: commuting on the subway, working in an office, wearing a suit and tie. He relates that his first exposure to this was in The Muppets Take Manhattan, when Kermit the Frog was afflicted with amnesia and became mundane businessfrog Phil.

“Hidden among the movie's many scenes of dancing animal puppets was a truly inspiring vision of adult normalcy. Kermit, the Muppets' frog vaudeville ringmaster, comes down with a case of cab crash–induced amnesia and is handed the identity of Phil, a New Yorkad exec. Phil does not perform on Broadway or hang out with a bear. Phil wears a suit and works in an office. Phil's days are spent attending meetings and having diner lunches with his co-workers. I wanted to be Phil.

What to the filmmakers was clearly a fate worse than death, the stifling of a unique spirit by the square establishment, was to young Elliott a dream to strive for. The message of numb conformity totally failed to reach me. All I could see was that Kermit went from naked frog to independent adult, autonomous professional, self-supported citizen. That was the magic of New York. Even an amphibian could become a grown-up. I didn't want to marry a pig and put on a show. I wanted a subway commute and a greasy spoon lunch hour. I wanted meetings around wooden tables. I wanted a desk with a phone on it. The return of Kermit's memory was tragic. He lost all those amazing ordinary things New Yorkers get to do!”

The Order of the Stick

The Order of the Stick is a webcomic but a handful of books have been published, some with original content.

Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales

In a parody of Hamlet, the play-within-a-play called The Murder of Gonzago is confused by Elan for The Murder of Gonzo. He's horrified to hear of the murder and thinks Camilla would be upset that it was turned into a play so soon after the event.

Playing with Power

On the front cover of Marsha Kinder's book, the title read "Playing with Power in Movies, Television, and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and in the book's official description, it read:

“Parents who worry that playing video games will turn their kids' brains to mush may welcome Kinder's view that the games contribute to a "ripening process . . . by fostering equilibration, by demanding shifting identifications with a wide range of subjects and objects, by forcing children to use the inductive process." This academic treatise swings between claims for the ostensible benefits of kiddies' TV shows, cartoons, videos and video games, and an analysis of how these same media instill an illusory sense of empowerment in children, serve as substitute parents and transmit consumerist ideology. The author, a professor at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, psychoanalytically interprets the meanings of Muppet figures and applies semiotics to Garfield the Cat as one might hit a flea with a sledgehammer.”

The Schoolkids Joke Book

This joke book compiled by Brough Girling (ISBN 0-00-692861-7), published by Collins in 1988 contains two Muppet jokes. On p68 there is a joke by Caroline Green from Bovingdon School, Hemel Hempstead which reads "Q. Where Does Kermit keep his money? A. In a Miss Piggy Bank". While on p103 is a joke by Victoria Ladds, from Carlton School, Boston which reads "Q. What do you get if you cross Miss Piggy with itching poweder? A. Pork Scratchings".

Smiles to Go

On pages 246-247, near the end of the book during the graduation of the kids moving into the first grade, Kermit the Frog was heard singing "The Rainbow Connection".