jnkay01
Written on Sep 1, 2020
Fred Rogers (1928-2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness. Rogers was fiercely devoted to children and to taking their fears, concerns, and questions about the world seriously. The Good Neighbor, the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers's personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work, including a surprising decision to walk away from the show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development. An engaging story, rich in detail, The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure, cherished by multiple generations.
- ISBN10 1432855344
- ISBN13 9781432855345
- Publish Date 5 September 2018 (first published 4 September 2018)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 24 August 2022
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Thorndike Press Large Print
- Edition Large type / large print edition
- Format Hardcover (Library Binding)
- Pages 630
- Language English
Reviews
lindsey
Written on May 18, 2020
There was even a time when I attempted to make homemade bread as a seven-year-old with absolutely no cooking experience. Mr. Rogers had shared a recipe in that day's episode, and I dutifully wrote it down. Then, with my mother's supervision, I attempted it. I had no doubts about my ability to make it because Mr. Rogers had seemed so certain that it was possible. The bread didn't turn out well, which was to be expected, but I remember not being upset about failing because I knew Mr. Rogers would have been proud of me anyway. That's how much his kindness came through, even over the television.
And today, I'm proud to say, I make excellent homemade biscuits. :)
The lessons he taught were enduring and are still relevant today, and it's awe-inspiring to know that he filmed 895 episodes and composed all of the music for the show - more than 200 songs. The puppets were his own as a child, and were an extension of him by the time he filmed Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
This biography, while a little long, is an excellent tribute to a kind and generous man. Beginning with his youth, it follows his life, focusing on important milestones, and then working its way up to the point when he decided to create Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It then continues until even after his passing. It's an incredibly well-researched biography, and it worked well as an audiobook.
My main reason for listening to the audiobook instead of reading it was because it was narrated by LeVar Burton, and I'm so glad I made that decision. Mr. Burton's narration was delightful, and the nostalgia brought on by the combination of Mr. Rogers and LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow was perfect.
Mr. Rogers is an American television icon, and he won't soon be forgotten, his legacy continuing to educate children fifty-two years after his show first aired. If you were a fan of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood growing up, or you're interested in learning more about the man behind the show, I would highly recommend this book!
adamfortuna
Written on May 22, 2019
Heather
Written on Oct 22, 2018
This is the most perfect combination of narrator and subject. What could possibly be more soothing than listening to LeVar Burton reading about Fred Rogers? It was so perfect that I listened to this at 1x speed and did not speed it up even at points when the story started to drag.
This is a very in depth look at the life of Fred Rogers. I was fascinated by stories from his childhood. I didn't know that he was born into a very wealthy family. He became a very accomplished pianist and composer before finding out about this new fangled thing called television and deciding almost on a whim to try it out. (It didn't hurt that he was the son of some of the major stockholders of RCA which owned NBC at the time.) Later he split his time between working at a TV station and going to seminary to become a minister. These are all detours he couldn't have taken if he had to worry about how to put food on the table for his family.
His mother instilled a sense of purpose in him. She was a philanthropist but not the kind that gets their name on flashy buildings. She found people in need and did what she could to support them.
One thing that was never addressed was Why Children? Everyone agrees that he had a child-like sense of wonder and that he related to kids more than adults but no one asked why. He had a very lonely childhood. He was bullied. I would think that would make him want to leave childhood far behind. He just always seemed to know that his purpose was to work with kids. I would have liked to see that addressed more.
This book is so detailed that it gets repetitive at times. That's my only complaint. His life was fascinating. Anyone looking for a scandal in his life isn't going to find it. Everyone agrees that the man you saw on TV was the real person.
This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story