Kermit's All-Time Favorites

Kermit's All-Time Favorites is volume 1 in the Jim Henson's Muppet Stories series. The series collects the various Jim Henson's Bedtime Stories short stories in hardback form.
This volume of stories focuses on friendship, including those friendship which may be strange, unusual, or unconventional.
Picture 	Title/Summary
center 	"Kermit's Lullaby"
* Written by Richard Chevat, Illustrated by Richard Walz
Kermit is trying to get Robin to settle down and go to sleep. Robin says he's tried things to fall asleep, including counting salamanders, but nothing has worked, and he wants his Uncle Kermit to sing him a lullaby. Kermit begins to sing a version of "Hush Little Baby", but Robin stops to tell him that he is singing it "wrong". Kermit informs Robin that this is the frog version, and sings Robin to sleep.
center 	"Sweet Dreams"
* Illustrated by Richard Walz
Kermit sings "Rock-a-bye Baby" to the Muppet Gang in a picture sing along page.
center 	"The Garage Sale"
* Written by Harry Ross, Illustrated by Richard Walz
Miss Piggy is doing some spring cleaning, and decides that she just has too much clutter and is going to have a garage sale. She makes a sign and gathers her items in her garage. Kermit is the first to arrive and is interested in a Kit-Cat Clock that goes tock tick instead of tick tock, Animal tries on some sandals, Gonzo wants fairy wings, Fozzie is looking at some boots, and Rowlf was going through old books. But Miss Piggy decides she cannot depart with anything, as they all hold memories, but she does allow Gonzo to take the garage sale sign home with him.
center 	"Far-Out Talent"
* Written by Richard Chevat, Illustrated by Richard Walz
The curtain is about to go up on the show at the Muppet Theatre when Scooter rushes in to tell Kermit that Aliens have landed. Kermit sees an opportunity and asks the aliens if they have an act. They reply they have no "ax". Rowlf inquires if they play music, but they do not, Gonzo wonders if they could sing with the Chickens, but they answer that they cannot "zing". Fozzie wonders if they can tell jokes, but they admit they know no "jukes".
These friendly looking aliens, with three arms, five green eyes, orange fur, and a small propeller on their head which allows them to fly are about to leave when Kermit realizes their act can be to fly, and they are coaxed into going on stage, much to the audience's delight. Kermit invites them to stay, but they tell him they must return to their home planet with their very important discovery, "jukes".
center 	"Baby Gonzo Gets His Wish"
* Written by Ellen Weiss, Illustrated by Tom Cooke
Baby Gonzo is digging in the back of the kitchen closet when he finds an old brass lamp. Nanny asks if he would like to polish it, and as he does he begins to daydream. In a wisp of blue smoke, a Genie appears, telling Baby Gonzo he will grant him three wishes. Gonzo uses his first wish for marshmallows, and his second to get rid of the millions of marshmallows that appear. His third wish is to fly, but he didn't say anything about landing, so the Genie grants him a favor.
center250px|center	"Forever Green"
* Written by Michaela Muntean, Illustrated by John Gurney
Many summers ago, Benny the bluebird fell out of his nest and broke his wing. And summer turned to fall, the birds felt the change in the weather and began to fly south for the winter. With his wing not fully healed, Benny knew he would be unable to make the long trip. Waving goodbye to his friends, Benny knew that despite his sadness he needed to find a warm play to stay until spring. He asked the birch tree, who shooed him away. The oak tree was afraid that Benny would eat his acrons, and the willow tree was too busy taking a nap to bother with a little bluebird.
Hearing the birds plight, a pine tree called Benny over, telling him that his branches would keep him warm through the winter, and he was more then welcome to stay in there until spring. A nearby spruce tree promised to protect the pine from the northern winds, and a little juniper tree volunteered its berries for Benny to eat over the winter.
When Jack Frost heard about the selfishness of some of the trees, he decreed that all trees, except the pine, spruce, and juniper, will lose their leaves in the winter as punishment, leaving the trees cold and bare for their selfishness. And Benny stayed warm all winter long.
center 	"The Round Number Ticker"
* Written by Deborah Kovacs, Illustrated by Larry DiFiori
One day Gobo received a package from Uncle Traveling Matt containing a strange, flat, round object containing numbers all around it in a circle. It had three sticks of different sizes which pointed to the numbers, and it made a strange "tick-tick-tick" noise. Not knowing what it was, Gobo read the letter attached, explaining that the Silly Creatures wear them on their arms and look at them all day long. He went on to explain that sometimes they buzz or beep, trying to make friends with their owner, but the Silly Creatures never respond. He ends his letter with a wish that Gobo can make friends with the round number ticker.
Gobo tried to teach his new friend words besides "tick-tick-tick," but it was to no avail. He sang it songs, and told it stories, and even took it on adventures to far away caves, but it never learned any new words. Frustrated, Gobo decided to see if his friend liked to swim, so he released it in the middle of the great pool, where it promptly sank.
Leaving it there to swim, Gobo later returned with the Fraggles for a picnic when they heard the round number ticker make a new noise, "ring." Looking down in the pool, the Fraggles saw a giant boulder in the reflection of the water, scattering out of the way just as the rock landed with a splash. Thanking their friend, the Fraggles made a special seat for the round number ticker next to the great pool, where despite its limited vocabulary, they would say hello and give it a pat whenever passing by.
center 	"Time Out for Gobo"
* Illustrated by Larry DiFiori
A puzzle asking the reader to match the time (and color) of the number on the clocks to the various activities Gobo does each day.
center250px|center	"Rowlf's Lullaby"
* Written by Jim Lewis, Illustrated by Richard Walz
Rowlf was curled up in bed, getting ready to go to sleep, and rest up so he can keep his promise to Kermit to write a go to sleep song the next day. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep he is startled by the sound of a dripping faucet in the sink. Then the breeze blowing through shutters and bonking them against the house disturbs his slumber. Finally his cousins, Bow and Wow Barkington keep Rowlf awake singing a dog song in the alley.
Deciding to ask them to sing quietly the next night, and vowing to fix the sink and shutters after he writes his song, Rowlf tries again to go to sleep. This time he's rousted out of bed by Gonzo's All-Mouse Choir practicing. Going back to his room, he thinks to himself about giving Gonzo a key to his music room tomorrow, after he fixes the faucet, ties down the shutters, and reminds his cousins to not sing so loudly.
As he lay away in bed, Rowlf begins to run through his to do list again, to the corresponding sounds they make, and he decides to set all the noises to music as their melody lulls him to sleep.
center250px|center	"Fozzie's Not Invited"
* Written by Ellen Weiss, Illustrated by Richard Walz
Fozzie wonders if everyone is planning a picnic without him. He overhears Gonzo and Kermit talking on the porch, and Piggy and Janice telling Rowlf they will see him at the picnic. When he sees Rowlf in the store he asks him if he's buying supplies for a picnic, which Rowlf confirms that he is.
Feeling left out that his friends haven't invited him, Fozzie heads into the drugstore where he sees Piggy, Animal and Janice buying more picnic supplies, but making no mention of inviting him. Dejected, Fozzie begins walking towards the edge of town, where he sees the gang waiting for the bus.
Asking where he's been, Kermit tells Fozzie that they group was afraid of missing the bus while they were waiting for Fozzie, but the bear tells the frog he never got an invite. Turning to Piggy, who was supposed to invite the bear, Piggy says she though Kermit was asking him. Rowlf thought Janice was, and the whole group felt embarassed. Asking why he didn't say anything, Fozzie says he was too hurt to mention it to his friends, but he knows next time to speak up if his feelings are hurt again.
__NOWYSIWYG__
 01
Category:Muppet Books
Category:Fraggle Rock Books
Category:Muppet Babies Books