This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

The Muppet Man

Meet Caroll Spinney, the man behind Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

For 40 years, millions of people have watched Caroll Spinney perform on TV. Perhaps you have too. But you may not recognize him without his fluffy yellow feathers or tangled green fur.

Spinney is Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. The puppeteer has played the iconic characters since the TV series first aired, in 1969.

Now 75, Spinney is one of the few original cast members still on the show. "Playing the same characters for 40 years, you really get to know them," Spinney told TFK.

Oscar is easy to handle. But climbing into an eight-foot-tall bird suit is hard work! The costume is covered in 6,000 turkey feathers. Spinney slips into the legs first. An assistant helps to pull on the body.

One of Spinney's arms holds up Big Bird's head, which has gears to control the eyes and mouth. A video monitor strapped to Spinney's chest lets him see outside the suit. Being Big Bird, who is supposed to be 6, "helps me feel younger," he jokes.

The Road to Sesame

Growing up, Spinney always knew he would someday turn his love of puppets into a full-time job. Before Sesame Street, he was a puppeteer on other TV shows. In 1969, Spinney met Jim Henson, the man who gave him his biggest break.

Henson, creator of the Muppets, was working on a new show called Sesame Street. He asked Spinney to join him. Spinney said yes, and the now-famous voices of Big Bird and Oscar were born.

The show celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. Spinney has won many awards through the years. But his work is the best reward, he says. "Each day, I meet grown-ups who watched the show when they were 5," says Spinney. "Time goes. It's amazing."

Next: Green Tip