Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
This is definitely a book for people who love Mr. Rogers and LeVar Burton. It goes over the entire life of Mr. Rogers both on the show and off the show and gives you a lot of good information. It was fun to listen to the audiobook because LaVar Burton reads it. I would recommend it just for the fun of that experience.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Abandonment
An amazing life. This is a comprehensive biography of Fred Rogers' life. He dedicated the entirety of his adult life to the education and well being of children. The effort put into his television shows goes far beyond attempting to entertain. He truly had a mission in life and all his energy went into the emotional well being of children. The book is at times repetitive and drags in sections, but I recommend for anyone who has admired Fred as an adult or a child.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
This was a beautiful biography that was very informative. I wish the world would remember the kindness that we should be showing each other. Mr. Rogers was a great example of that.
I’m giving it 4 stars because I love Mr Rogers and I loved reading about him. Realistically it might have hit more as a 3 for me, simply because it felt redundant, almost exactly the same information I got from the documentary.
Maybe this is an unfair expectation, but when I read a biography, I expect for the person to come to life through the pages, to be able to visualize them and see who they are as a person, to have an emotional reaction (love or hate). This book was completely lacking in emotion and character. It read more like a research paper, or a summary of various interviews. It was disorganized, extremely repetitive, and included far too many details on tangential topics. It had no clear conclusions. For a person as incredible as Mr Rogers, he should have been popping off the page, but instead he gets lost in a sea of boring details. I did learn a few interesting facts about him which saved this from a one-star rating.
"The Good Neighbor" was my Parkland Reader's Club book choice for this past school year. The district will usually provide a list of somewhere between 20 and 30 books for us to read for professional development hours. They buy the book, we read it, we discuss it, they give us dinner and professional development hours, and everything is good! As a child born in the 80's, I was raised on both Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, hence this book seemed like a worthwhile bit of nostalgia for me to indulge in. Even though I was supposed to have it read by November, spoiler alert: I did not. Oops.
I did come back to it, though, and managed to finish it at the beginning of this year. One of the things that I was hoping to gain from this book was a better insight into the type of person Fred Rogers was when he was off camera, and in this regard, the book lived up to my expectations. In our current climate, it seems like nothing (or no one) is ever as good as it (or they) seem. My fears were thankfully assuaged as I read about Rogers' generosity, kindheartedness, and overall goodness that matched exactly what was seen on the television. This isn't to say he was always easy to work with and didn't have some minor personal flaws, but it was refreshing to know there weren't any Hagrid-sized skeletons in Mr. Rogers' closet right next to the cardigans.
Some of the most interesting parts focused on just how involved Rogers was in the production of his show. From the various incarnations to all of the musical pieces to the hand puppets used on-screen, Rogers was the driving force behind all of them. At times the "story" was repetitive, but it never felt like overkill. Thankfully, the repetition simply reinforced how utterly good Mr. Rogers was to those around him, and especially the children. Many of the anecdotes about children who met Mr. Rogers showcased his ability to meet them on a level that not much television could at the time. The idea of using hand puppets to teach his lessons to the children gave him a direct way of appealing to his audience. Fred Rogers asked his viewers to delve into topics that weren't necessarily easy for children to handle, things as general as loss and sadness or as specific as divorce and death. He also didn't sugarcoat these topics for children, and constantly let them know that it's ok to not always feel ok, a sentiment that's more apropos than ever.
While I can't say that I remember any specific episodes of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" or many of the songs, reading this made me realize how much of an impact he did have on my life. I was genuinely moved by the recollections of his meetings with different people. After reading, I also realized just how many of my foundational beliefs probably were formed along the way by these early lessons when I was young. Even so, I wish that the book itself would have been just as endearing as the man. For that reason, I give this book 4 out of 5 cardigans.
I did come back to it, though, and managed to finish it at the beginning of this year. One of the things that I was hoping to gain from this book was a better insight into the type of person Fred Rogers was when he was off camera, and in this regard, the book lived up to my expectations. In our current climate, it seems like nothing (or no one) is ever as good as it (or they) seem. My fears were thankfully assuaged as I read about Rogers' generosity, kindheartedness, and overall goodness that matched exactly what was seen on the television. This isn't to say he was always easy to work with and didn't have some minor personal flaws, but it was refreshing to know there weren't any Hagrid-sized skeletons in Mr. Rogers' closet right next to the cardigans.
Some of the most interesting parts focused on just how involved Rogers was in the production of his show. From the various incarnations to all of the musical pieces to the hand puppets used on-screen, Rogers was the driving force behind all of them. At times the "story" was repetitive, but it never felt like overkill. Thankfully, the repetition simply reinforced how utterly good Mr. Rogers was to those around him, and especially the children. Many of the anecdotes about children who met Mr. Rogers showcased his ability to meet them on a level that not much television could at the time. The idea of using hand puppets to teach his lessons to the children gave him a direct way of appealing to his audience. Fred Rogers asked his viewers to delve into topics that weren't necessarily easy for children to handle, things as general as loss and sadness or as specific as divorce and death. He also didn't sugarcoat these topics for children, and constantly let them know that it's ok to not always feel ok, a sentiment that's more apropos than ever.
While I can't say that I remember any specific episodes of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" or many of the songs, reading this made me realize how much of an impact he did have on my life. I was genuinely moved by the recollections of his meetings with different people. After reading, I also realized just how many of my foundational beliefs probably were formed along the way by these early lessons when I was young. Even so, I wish that the book itself would have been just as endearing as the man. For that reason, I give this book 4 out of 5 cardigans.
I am fascinated by the level of thought and care that went into making Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Still, the author was very repetitive when discussing the creation of the show, and it got old. Learning about how he became the man he became through his childhood and young adulthood experiences and relationships was equally interesting. It would have been nice to learn as much about his relationships with his wife and sons as it was to learn about his childhood. They got short shrift in this biography. It was nice to spend time in Mister Rogers' world, but I can't help but be a bit disappointed by the book. I was expecting more.
Very thorough and detailed description of Mr Rogers life from beginning to end. It was not necessarily a quick read because there were so many details to absorb, but I appreciated reading about the legacy he has left.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Really encouraging to see how the media has had a clear and positive influence on the field of education, especially as a teacher to young students.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced