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mathman329 's review for:
The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers
by Maxwell King
"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.