 listening library presents ordinary people change the world I am Jim Henson by Brad Meltzer illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos read for you by Mark Thompson and an ensemble cast I am Jim Henson oh good you're here what's the fun of a story if you don't have anyone to share it with growing up in Mississippi I used to love to watch birds I even made my own book or I'd list each bird I saw and add my own drawings that bird up there is my favorite the blackbird blackbirds have fun personalities and I also love their other name the grackle don't you just love funny names like that my whole life I've loved kooky words want to know what else I loved laughing as a kid this was one of my favorite family jokes my mom used to play it on my brother and me say when gee that's enough mom that's enough mom you didn't say when at eight years old I'd come here to the movie theater every Saturday this was my favorite place for 15 cents I could get a bag of popcorn and spend the whole day watching cartoons newsreels action movies and comedies my favorites were the ones with wild clothing far off locations like the old West for foreign countries the rest of the week my friends and I would recreate what we saw in the movies using homemade props and costumes bedsheet as turban look the great snake charmer garden hose a snake look a star tattoo cork cut like a star then charred black star tattoo that bad guy had in the movie with a little imagination we'd start pretending there was no limit to what we could create my grandparents played a big role in my life I got my middle name Maury from my grandfather who loved to laugh too but he never laughed at anyone never made fun of people as for my grandmother she was my best audience when she came over to visit we'd use paint glue and crayons to make the most amazing art projects she was the one who encouraged me to draw things that made me happy monsters with giant mouths and birds with big eyes tada sample complete ready to continue