 | |
| Written by | Linda Hayward |
| Illustrator | Joe Mathieu |
| Published | October 1980 |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Pages | 253 |
| ISBN | 0394840070 |
The Sesame Street Dictionary is a collection of more than 1,300 words and definitions. Each word is illustrated with a Sesame Street cartoon by artist Joe Mathieu. With 250 pages and an average of six different illustrations per page, the Dictionary is packed with Sesame comedy.
The book was vigorously advertised in newspapers and TV commercials.[1] It was later divided up into several volumes of Big Bird's Sesame Street Dictionary.
One of Mathieu's hallmarks is his sincere appreciation for the Sesame characters. The Dictionary is faithful to the show's style and spirit. It features dozens of Sesame characters, including some that were rarely seen in books and merchandise at the time of publication.
Some of the rare characters are:
- Bartholomew Bird, Big Bird's poor cousin
- Bernice the Pigeon, Bert's favorite pigeon
- The Busby Twins, two identical twin Anything Muppets
- Connie the Witch, one of the Muppet Witches
- Fatatatita, the Count's cat
- Grover Knover, Grover's motorcycle-riding daredevil alter ego
- Osvaldo, el Gruñón, the brown Grouch from Puerto Rico
- Pamela Monster, a light purple monster with a single tooth protruding from her lower jaw
- Robin the Frog, who's pictured in the "Frog" definition, sitting on a lily pad and looking at an autographed picture of his famous uncle Kermit
- Uncle Uno, the Count's uncle
The entire list of characters is:
- The Amazing Mumford, Baby Breeze, Bad Bart, Barkley, Bartholomew Bird, Bernice the Pigeon, Bert, Betty Lou, Biff, Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, The Busby Twins, The City Mouse, Connie the Witch, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, The Country Mouse, Crummy and Yucchy, Don Music, Ernie, Farley, Farmer Grover, Fatatatita, Frazzle, Fred the Wonder Horse, Granny Bird, Granny Fanny Nesselrode, Grover, Grover Knover, Grover's Mommy, Guy Smiley, Hard Head Henry Harris, The Hare, Herbert Birdsfoot, Herry Monster, Kermit the Frog, Lasso Louise, Lefty, Little Bird, Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats, Little Jerry and the Monotones, Little Miss Muffet, Little Pig, Little Red Riding Hood, Marshal Grover, Maurice Monster, Mr. Chatterly, Mr. Hooper, Mr. Johnson, The Mudman, Oscar the Grouch, Osvaldo, el Gruñón, Pamela Monster, Prairie Dawn, Prince Charming, Robin the Frog, Rodeo Rosie, Roosevelt Franklin, Roosevelt Franklin's Mother, Rubber Duckie, Sam the Robot, Sammy the Snake, Sherlock Hemlock, Slimey the Worm, Smart Tina, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sully, Super Grover, Tessie Twiddlebug, Thomas Twiddlebug, The Three Bears, The Tortoise, Twiddlebugs, Uncle Uno, Waiter Grover, Witches
Layout proofs[]
Notes[]
Robin's cameo.
- The Sesame Street Dictionary has not been out of print since its original printing in 1980.[2]
- The Dictionary self-references itself in the entries for "dictionary," "use," "whale," and "word."
- The entry for "unusual" contains an Anything Muppet version of editor Sharon Lerner.[2]
- All writers and editors at Sesame Workshop are given copies of the Dictionary as a reference for characterization and style.[2]
- Joe Mathieu handled page layouts and type in addition to the illustrations.[2]
- Robin the Frog makes a rare cameo appearance.
- Mathieu recalls working on the project on his website:
Other releases[]
Marketing and press[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Philadelphia Daily News "Death of a Child Star" by Robert Strauss, March 06, 1979
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 email communication with Joe Hennes
External links[]
- "The Story of the Sesame Street Dictionary" at SesameWorkshop.org: Part 1 and Parts 2 & 3 (archived)