(CBS) Kermit the Frog made his first TV appearance in 1955. Since then, he has enjoyed a career unparalleled by any other amphibian in show business.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has guest-hosted the "Tonight Show" for Johnny Carson, and even holds an honorary doctorate from Long Island University.

Kermit first rose to stardom during the early days of "Sesame Street" and went on to star in big-screen features such as "The Muppet Movie." Now he is releasing his memoirs in a book called "Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons," a follow-up to his 1993 best-seller.

"It was a guide to the '90s, and of course we are not in the '90s anymore," he told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm about his first book. "You may not know this, but there's a federal law requiring celebrities (to write a book), and it was my turn. I think next up is Kevin Federline."

The memoir traces Kermit's life from his early days in the swamp to his days working along side his mentor, Jim Henson.

"It's interesting. He taught me to be ridiculously optimistic," Kermit said. "That was his philosophy and it's mine. I wanted to dedicate the book to him but, frankly, I am not sure what he did. He was always around willing to lend a hand."

The book also discusses Kermit's much-publicized relationship with Miss Piggy. Rumors have abound that the two were secretly married, and entire blogs are dedicated to unraveling their relationship.

"We weren't ever actually married," he said. "We did that in a movie and she tried to trick me by getting a real priest. No, we weren't married. Am I happy? I am very happy. I am happy in my life, but it's interesting because we have the longest-lasting interspecies relationship in all of Hollywood — and the competition is fierce."

The book also discusses Kermit's close relationship with Fozzie the bear, his best friend in a segment he calls "Fridays with Fozzie."

"It's interesting because you have heard of 'Tuesdays with Maury,' and 'Fridays' is our way to pay homage to that book without paying royalties," he said.

He also offers some advice.

Ask yourself important questions. Asking big questions is part of Kermit's dream identification system. He said people should ponder things like "Who am I? Where am I? How did I get here? Why is that pig approaching me with mistletoe?"

When it comes to making friends, be flexible. "You have to be open to new things," he said.

Get in touch with your inner tadpole. "Important stuff. It's good to stay in touch, otherwise you call up and have to dial star three to get through to him," Kermit said. "My tadpole is writing his own memoirs right now."

"My philosophy goes back to what my good friend Jim says. He said he wanted to leave the world a little better place than it was before he got here for him having been here, and I think he did that," Kermit said. "That's something we can strive for. I'm trying."

To read an excerpt of "Before You Leap," click here.

©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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