Jon Stone facts for kids

Jon Arthur Stone (April 13, 1932 – March 30, 1997) was an American writer, director, and producer. He is best known for being one of the original people who worked on Sesame Street. Jon Stone helped create famous characters like Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Big Bird. He won 18 Emmy Awards for his television work. Many people consider him one of the best writers for children's TV shows.

Jon Stone's Early Life and Career

Jon Stone was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He went to Williams College and graduated in 1952. Later, he earned a master's degree from the Yale University School of Drama in 1955. After that, he joined a training program at CBS.

This is when Jon Stone started working in children's television. He began as a writer for Captain Kangaroo. Then, he moved to Sesame Street where he was a writer and an executive producer. He also worked on other Muppet projects. Jon Stone wrote several children's books too. One of his most famous books is The Monster at the End of This Book. It was published by Random House as a Little Golden Book.

Creating Magic: Producing and Writing for TV

Jon Stone first worked with Jim Henson in 1965. They worked on fairy tale projects together. One idea was a Snow White series. This later became a pilot for Cinderella, which was filmed but never shown. It eventually turned into the special Hey, Cinderella!. Jon Stone also appeared in Jim Henson's 1967 short film called Ripples.

In 1968, Jon Stone introduced Jim Henson and Joe Raposo to Joan Ganz Cooney. She was the president of the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop). She was putting together the show Sesame Street. Jon Stone wrote the very first script for the show. He was also one of the three original producers. For many years, he was an executive producer for Sesame Street.

Behind the Camera: Directing Sesame Street

Jon Stone also became a director for Sesame Street. He directed episodes from 1969 until 1994. He also directed a Christmas special in 1995. This special was called Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree.

Jon Stone's Legacy

Jon Stone was married to an actress named Beverley Owen. They had two daughters together. They later divorced in 1974.

Jon Stone passed away in New York on March 30, 1997. He died from a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This disease is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. After he passed away, a special memorial bench was placed in Central Park. It is on the Literary Walk, right next to a bench for Jim Henson.

Joan Ganz Cooney said in his New York Times obituary that Jon Stone was "probably the most brilliant writer of children's television material in America." Season 29 of Sesame Street was dedicated to his memory.