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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
As a child of the 80's, I grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Now that I have kids of my own, I like to put on old episodes for them as well as the spin-off/reboot, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I love that so many kids' shows focus on learning, and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood focuses not so much on linguistic and mathematical learning but instead on interpersonal and intrapersonal learning, as well as a focus on functional, musical, and even existential lessons. It was extremely interesting to learn more about the man behind the sweater - and what a wonderful revelation to find that the Mr. Rogers we saw on TV was the real and true him.
The Good Neighbor is a truly deep dive into the life and work of Fred Rogers - sometimes a little TOO deep. Maxwell King has a tendency to give the reader a very thorough background on several people who were key in Rogers' life. While it makes sense to go into the background of his wife, Joanne, including where she was born, where her parents come from, and how she grew up, I feel the book could have done without that information for pretty much ANYONE who had an impact on Rogers' life. It got to the point that the book is talking about this teacher and mentor of Fred's and who her parents were and where she grew up and why SHE went into child development, and I'm sitting there reading like "...Who cares?" It just added a lot of what I feel is unnecessary bulk and filler to what is otherwise a very compelling book.
That being said, I really appreciate that King doesn't shy away from sharing Fred's imperfections. Fred got mad sometimes, could be oblivious, he could be stubborn, he didn't always know how to handle his own children - and that's OK, because he was a human man! He wasn't perfect - and we loved him, just the way he was. The most compelling parts of this book for me were the insight into Fred's childhood and the way he grew up, as well as the parts of the book that focus on the many ways Fred touched so many lives.
The Good Neighbor is a truly deep dive into the life and work of Fred Rogers - sometimes a little TOO deep. Maxwell King has a tendency to give the reader a very thorough background on several people who were key in Rogers' life. While it makes sense to go into the background of his wife, Joanne, including where she was born, where her parents come from, and how she grew up, I feel the book could have done without that information for pretty much ANYONE who had an impact on Rogers' life. It got to the point that the book is talking about this teacher and mentor of Fred's and who her parents were and where she grew up and why SHE went into child development, and I'm sitting there reading like "...Who cares?" It just added a lot of what I feel is unnecessary bulk and filler to what is otherwise a very compelling book.
That being said, I really appreciate that King doesn't shy away from sharing Fred's imperfections. Fred got mad sometimes, could be oblivious, he could be stubborn, he didn't always know how to handle his own children - and that's OK, because he was a human man! He wasn't perfect - and we loved him, just the way he was. The most compelling parts of this book for me were the insight into Fred's childhood and the way he grew up, as well as the parts of the book that focus on the many ways Fred touched so many lives.
This book was a wonderful read. I was able to not just learn about the life and works of Mister Rogers, but I also had the opportunity to take a stroll down memory lane. It touches upon the reality of Mister Rogers' world and the Neighborhood of Make Believe. I got the feeling I was part of Mister Rogers' inner circle when the book shared how he received some of his puppets and how some of them got their names. He was so thoughtful with all his actions and decisions. This book is chock full of great stories spanning his half-century career of serving the youth of the world. I walk away from this book feeling rejuvenated and inspired to go out and make a difference. Thank you Mister Rogers!
"The Good Neighbor" is an excellent, informative biography of Mr. Rogers. The author captured the man and his legacy very well. It was interesting to learn about Fred Rogers as a man.
Levar Burton reads the audiobook, which is fantastic.
Levar Burton reads the audiobook, which is fantastic.
Loved this inspiring book, esp the audio book recorded by Lavar Burton!!!!
inspiring
Inspiring and exactly what I needed to read.
While at times I found this biography slightly uninteresting, which probably has more to do with me and my general dislike of biographies than it does with the book itself, I found this book to be a solid tribute to the tv personality and humanitarian I most adore. I learned so much about the man that I’d never known, laughed at correspondences written between Rogers and his child and adult fans, and sobbed when reading about his death. I finished the book feeling inspired to approach my relationships with my students, my friends, my family, and strangers with Mr. Rogers’ heart and appreciation for the special individuals we all are.
I’m being my kindest self in giving this book three stars. In fact, let’s give the words 2 stars and save an entire star for the narration of the audiobook. LaVar Burton was an excellent choice as reader.
Fred Rogers never wrote a memoir, but he lives within the books he wrote on childhood and parenting. His humanity is on full display there, and I recommend that you read those books. His books. Then listen to a few interviews. Fresh Air has a great one but my favorite is with Diane Rhem. Everything you need to know about him is there.
This book was long. It was repetitive. It was not the book I’d hoped it would be.
Fred Rogers never wrote a memoir, but he lives within the books he wrote on childhood and parenting. His humanity is on full display there, and I recommend that you read those books. His books. Then listen to a few interviews. Fresh Air has a great one but my favorite is with Diane Rhem. Everything you need to know about him is there.
This book was long. It was repetitive. It was not the book I’d hoped it would be.