Description
New York Times bestseller! “King is a skilled storyteller. . . . In today’s ugly climate, full of bitterness and rage on all sides, Rogers’s example feels more necessary than ever.” — Washington Post Here is the definitive biography of Fred Rogers, children’s television pioneer and American cultural icon, an educator and entertainer who brought new empathy to television and helped children face complex issues such as divorce, discipline, mistakes, anger, and competition. Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness, fiercely devoted to children and taking their questions about the world seriously. The Good Neighbor is the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, a staple of public television and an icon to generations of children. Based on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, biographer Maxwell King traces Rogers’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work. One of many touching stories told is the story of his appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in 1985, when Rogers issued strict instructions: No children were to be present during the taping. Winfrey and her producers ignored his request and filled her studio with young children and their mothers. Author Maxwell King writes, “As soon as the children started to ask him questions directly, he seemed to get lost in their world, slowing his responses to their pace, and even hunching in his chair as if to insinuate himself down to their level. This wasn’t good television—at least, good adult television. Everything was going into a kind of slow motion as Fred Rogers became Mister Rogers, connecting powerfully with the smallest children present. He seemed to forget the camera as he focused on them one by one. . . . In the audience, Winfrey leaned down with her microphone to ask a little blond girl if she had a question for Mister Rogers. Instead of answering, the child broke away from her mother, pushed past Winfrey, and ran down to the stage to hug him. As the only adult present not stunned by this, apparently, Fred Rogers knelt to accept her embrace.” The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure whose life and work continue to resonate today because of Mister Rogers’s message of kindness and compassion.
gammyjill –
Fred Rogers slowed down my sons’ TV viewing thirty five years ago. Compared to Sesame Street, where every moment seemed spent in frenetic movement, the Mr Rogers show was calm and deliberately paced. Fred Rogers seemed to be able to speak directly to a child. I always wished I could speak so intimately to my own children but then most mothers I knew felt the same way. Fred Rogers is the subject of a superb new bio, “The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers”, by Maxwell King., Fred Rogers was born to be “Mr Rogers”. He was an only child for many years, born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburg. His family was very wealthy, owning local companies, and were liberal in their outlook. His mother, in particular, was very, very charitable in the community and both parents encouraged young Fred in his artistic interests. Fred went through a typical adolescence as a rich kid in a small town, complete with the embarrassment that age and wealth bring. He went to Dartmouth for two years – enduring endless partying in the wilds of New Hampshire by others – before transferring to Rollins College in Florida. He found a ready-made community of other music majors. He soon knew he wanted to combine music with the teaching of children. He met his wife, Joanne, at Rollins. He soon moved into the new medium of television and soon found his place. And he was perfect for public television, where he found a home after disagreeing with the monetizing of children’s TV., Fred Rogers came from a religious family. They had long been active in the Presbyterian Church and Fred eventually became a Presbyterian minister. I never thought he pushed his Christian beliefs in his show but I always appreciated the religious-aura he lent to his words., Maxwell King takes a measured look at Fred Rogers, his career, and his huge influence on generations of children who were raised with his gentle voice and words. There wasn’t much “wrong” in Fred Rogers’ life; he was lucky that way, but he also worked at contributing to the society around him. Now that I have grandchildren, I miss Mr Rogers.
gammyjill –
Fred Rogers slowed down my sons’ TV viewing thirty five years ago. Compared to Sesame Street, where every moment seemed spent in frenetic movement, the Mr Rogers show was calm and deliberately paced. Fred Rogers seemed to be able to speak directly to a child. I always wished I could speak so intimately to my own children but then most mothers I knew felt the same way. Fred Rogers is the subject of a superb new bio, “The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers”, by Maxwell King., Fred Rogers was born to be “Mr Rogers”. He was an only child for many years, born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburg. His family was very wealthy, owning local companies, and were liberal in their outlook. His mother, in particular, was very, very charitable in the community and both parents encouraged young Fred in his artistic interests. Fred went through a typical adolescence as a rich kid in a small town, complete with the embarrassment that age and wealth bring. He went to Dartmouth for two years – enduring endless partying in the wilds of New Hampshire by others – before transferring to Rollins College in Florida. He found a ready-made community of other music majors. He soon knew he wanted to combine music with the teaching of children. He met his wife, Joanne, at Rollins. He soon moved into the new medium of television and soon found his place. And he was perfect for public television, where he found a home after disagreeing with the monetizing of children’s TV., Fred Rogers came from a religious family. They had long been active in the Presbyterian Church and Fred eventually became a Presbyterian minister. I never thought he pushed his Christian beliefs in his show but I always appreciated the religious-aura he lent to his words., Maxwell King takes a measured look at Fred Rogers, his career, and his huge influence on generations of children who were raised with his gentle voice and words. There wasn’t much “wrong” in Fred Rogers’ life; he was lucky that way, but he also worked at contributing to the society around him. Now that I have grandchildren, I miss Mr Rogers.
gammyjill –
Fred Rogers slowed down my sons’ TV viewing thirty five years ago. Compared to Sesame Street, where every moment seemed spent in frenetic movement, the Mr Rogers show was calm and deliberately paced. Fred Rogers seemed to be able to speak directly to a child. I always wished I could speak so intimately to my own children but then most mothers I knew felt the same way. Fred Rogers is the subject of a superb new bio, “The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers”, by Maxwell King., Fred Rogers was born to be “Mr Rogers”. He was an only child for many years, born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburg. His family was very wealthy, owning local companies, and were liberal in their outlook. His mother, in particular, was very, very charitable in the community and both parents encouraged young Fred in his artistic interests. Fred went through a typical adolescence as a rich kid in a small town, complete with the embarrassment that age and wealth bring. He went to Dartmouth for two years – enduring endless partying in the wilds of New Hampshire by others – before transferring to Rollins College in Florida. He found a ready-made community of other music majors. He soon knew he wanted to combine music with the teaching of children. He met his wife, Joanne, at Rollins. He soon moved into the new medium of television and soon found his place. And he was perfect for public television, where he found a home after disagreeing with the monetizing of children’s TV., Fred Rogers came from a religious family. They had long been active in the Presbyterian Church and Fred eventually became a Presbyterian minister. I never thought he pushed his Christian beliefs in his show but I always appreciated the religious-aura he lent to his words., Maxwell King takes a measured look at Fred Rogers, his career, and his huge influence on generations of children who were raised with his gentle voice and words. There wasn’t much “wrong” in Fred Rogers’ life; he was lucky that way, but he also worked at contributing to the society around him. Now that I have grandchildren, I miss Mr Rogers.
gammyjill –
Fred Rogers slowed down my sons’ TV viewing thirty five years ago. Compared to Sesame Street, where every moment seemed spent in frenetic movement, the Mr Rogers show was calm and deliberately paced. Fred Rogers seemed to be able to speak directly to a child. I always wished I could speak so intimately to my own children but then most mothers I knew felt the same way. Fred Rogers is the subject of a superb new bio, “The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers”, by Maxwell King., Fred Rogers was born to be “Mr Rogers”. He was an only child for many years, born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburg. His family was very wealthy, owning local companies, and were liberal in their outlook. His mother, in particular, was very, very charitable in the community and both parents encouraged young Fred in his artistic interests. Fred went through a typical adolescence as a rich kid in a small town, complete with the embarrassment that age and wealth bring. He went to Dartmouth for two years – enduring endless partying in the wilds of New Hampshire by others – before transferring to Rollins College in Florida. He found a ready-made community of other music majors. He soon knew he wanted to combine music with the teaching of children. He met his wife, Joanne, at Rollins. He soon moved into the new medium of television and soon found his place. And he was perfect for public television, where he found a home after disagreeing with the monetizing of children’s TV., Fred Rogers came from a religious family. They had long been active in the Presbyterian Church and Fred eventually became a Presbyterian minister. I never thought he pushed his Christian beliefs in his show but I always appreciated the religious-aura he lent to his words., Maxwell King takes a measured look at Fred Rogers, his career, and his huge influence on generations of children who were raised with his gentle voice and words. There wasn’t much “wrong” in Fred Rogers’ life; he was lucky that way, but he also worked at contributing to the society around him. Now that I have grandchildren, I miss Mr Rogers.
Kathleen B. Walker –
Did you watch the television show, “Mr. Rogers?” I was aware of the show…and probably caught bits and pieces of it throughout my life. This book gives a good look into Fred Rogers, both as a person…and as the creator of shows designed for children. Here are some things I learned:, *Rogers came from a wealthy and generous family. This wealth gave him a strong level of security and allowed him to dedicate himself to making the world a better place., *He was a strong swimmer. He swam every morning, doing 25-yard laps for 45 to 50 minutes. His weight always remained steady at 143., *His religious home was the Presbyterian Church but he loved to study other religions., *Rogers’ scripts for his show went through nine steps of translation for his young audiences. Although his show looked simple it was a painstaking process. There were transitions on his show (the trolley) which took his young audiences from the reality part of the program to make-believe., *Daniel Tiger was Rogers’ first and most important puppet voiced by him. An autistic little boy spoke for the first time to Rogers’ King and Queen puppets., * When angry, Rogers would play the piano…it was his emotional refuge., *KOKO the Gorilla once appeared on Rogers’ show, The Neighborhood. Later, he visited her at the Gorilla Foundation. There, she removed his shoes, hugged him, and signed that she loved him., *Rogers was always inquisitive about how to do things and what more there was to learn., *He died in 2003 of stomach cancer., *There are two organizations that carry on Rogers’ work today: The Fred Rogers Company and The Fred Rogers Center., *Rogers’ daily prayer as he walked into the television studio was: Dear Lord, let some word of this be yours.”, Rogers was a good man who some actually referred to as “God-like.”
Kathleen B. Walker –
Did you watch the television show, “Mr. Rogers?” I was aware of the show…and probably caught bits and pieces of it throughout my life. This book gives a good look into Fred Rogers, both as a person…and as the creator of shows designed for children. Here are some things I learned:, *Rogers came from a wealthy and generous family. This wealth gave him a strong level of security and allowed him to dedicate himself to making the world a better place., *He was a strong swimmer. He swam every morning, doing 25-yard laps for 45 to 50 minutes. His weight always remained steady at 143., *His religious home was the Presbyterian Church but he loved to study other religions., *Rogers’ scripts for his show went through nine steps of translation for his young audiences. Although his show looked simple it was a painstaking process. There were transitions on his show (the trolley) which took his young audiences from the reality part of the program to make-believe., *Daniel Tiger was Rogers’ first and most important puppet voiced by him. An autistic little boy spoke for the first time to Rogers’ King and Queen puppets., * When angry, Rogers would play the piano…it was his emotional refuge., *KOKO the Gorilla once appeared on Rogers’ show, The Neighborhood. Later, he visited her at the Gorilla Foundation. There, she removed his shoes, hugged him, and signed that she loved him., *Rogers was always inquisitive about how to do things and what more there was to learn., *He died in 2003 of stomach cancer., *There are two organizations that carry on Rogers’ work today: The Fred Rogers Company and The Fred Rogers Center., *Rogers’ daily prayer as he walked into the television studio was: Dear Lord, let some word of this be yours.”, Rogers was a good man who some actually referred to as “God-like.”
Kathleen B. Walker –
Did you watch the television show, “Mr. Rogers?” I was aware of the show…and probably caught bits and pieces of it throughout my life. This book gives a good look into Fred Rogers, both as a person…and as the creator of shows designed for children. Here are some things I learned:, *Rogers came from a wealthy and generous family. This wealth gave him a strong level of security and allowed him to dedicate himself to making the world a better place., *He was a strong swimmer. He swam every morning, doing 25-yard laps for 45 to 50 minutes. His weight always remained steady at 143., *His religious home was the Presbyterian Church but he loved to study other religions., *Rogers’ scripts for his show went through nine steps of translation for his young audiences. Although his show looked simple it was a painstaking process. There were transitions on his show (the trolley) which took his young audiences from the reality part of the program to make-believe., *Daniel Tiger was Rogers’ first and most important puppet voiced by him. An autistic little boy spoke for the first time to Rogers’ King and Queen puppets., * When angry, Rogers would play the piano…it was his emotional refuge., *KOKO the Gorilla once appeared on Rogers’ show, The Neighborhood. Later, he visited her at the Gorilla Foundation. There, she removed his shoes, hugged him, and signed that she loved him., *Rogers was always inquisitive about how to do things and what more there was to learn., *He died in 2003 of stomach cancer., *There are two organizations that carry on Rogers’ work today: The Fred Rogers Company and The Fred Rogers Center., *Rogers’ daily prayer as he walked into the television studio was: Dear Lord, let some word of this be yours.”, Rogers was a good man who some actually referred to as “God-like.”
Kathleen B. Walker –
Did you watch the television show, “Mr. Rogers?” I was aware of the show…and probably caught bits and pieces of it throughout my life. This book gives a good look into Fred Rogers, both as a person…and as the creator of shows designed for children. Here are some things I learned:, *Rogers came from a wealthy and generous family. This wealth gave him a strong level of security and allowed him to dedicate himself to making the world a better place., *He was a strong swimmer. He swam every morning, doing 25-yard laps for 45 to 50 minutes. His weight always remained steady at 143., *His religious home was the Presbyterian Church but he loved to study other religions., *Rogers’ scripts for his show went through nine steps of translation for his young audiences. Although his show looked simple it was a painstaking process. There were transitions on his show (the trolley) which took his young audiences from the reality part of the program to make-believe., *Daniel Tiger was Rogers’ first and most important puppet voiced by him. An autistic little boy spoke for the first time to Rogers’ King and Queen puppets., * When angry, Rogers would play the piano…it was his emotional refuge., *KOKO the Gorilla once appeared on Rogers’ show, The Neighborhood. Later, he visited her at the Gorilla Foundation. There, she removed his shoes, hugged him, and signed that she loved him., *Rogers was always inquisitive about how to do things and what more there was to learn., *He died in 2003 of stomach cancer., *There are two organizations that carry on Rogers’ work today: The Fred Rogers Company and The Fred Rogers Center., *Rogers’ daily prayer as he walked into the television studio was: Dear Lord, let some word of this be yours.”, Rogers was a good man who some actually referred to as “God-like.”
B A Symons –
This book was a real eye-opener for me! From the first chapter I could tell it was written with deep respect & love. I’d heard of Fred Rogers, but I don’t remember watching his programs, yet I often find myself singing the “Would You Be My Neighbor” song when I’m feeling upbeat & happy! I would encourage everyone to read the life story of Mr Rogers! He lived his life giving to others. This isn’t a light, easy book to read. Fred Rogers lived his life according to his beliefs & ethics – he dedicated his entire life to transforming the lives & education of small children. He wasn’t an entertainer, he was an educator – an educator of small children, an educator of their parents & an educator of society as a whole – that small children are not small adults; to be seen & not heard. They need to be listened to, to be met on their level, to be loved & liked just as they are!! We all need that! I wish I’d found this philosophy when my own daughter was small. I loved this book & I think you will too!!
B A Symons –
This book was a real eye-opener for me! From the first chapter I could tell it was written with deep respect & love. I’d heard of Fred Rogers, but I don’t remember watching his programs, yet I often find myself singing the “Would You Be My Neighbor” song when I’m feeling upbeat & happy! I would encourage everyone to read the life story of Mr Rogers! He lived his life giving to others. This isn’t a light, easy book to read. Fred Rogers lived his life according to his beliefs & ethics – he dedicated his entire life to transforming the lives & education of small children. He wasn’t an entertainer, he was an educator – an educator of small children, an educator of their parents & an educator of society as a whole – that small children are not small adults; to be seen & not heard. They need to be listened to, to be met on their level, to be loved & liked just as they are!! We all need that! I wish I’d found this philosophy when my own daughter was small. I loved this book & I think you will too!!
B A Symons –
This book was a real eye-opener for me! From the first chapter I could tell it was written with deep respect & love. I’d heard of Fred Rogers, but I don’t remember watching his programs, yet I often find myself singing the “Would You Be My Neighbor” song when I’m feeling upbeat & happy! I would encourage everyone to read the life story of Mr Rogers! He lived his life giving to others. This isn’t a light, easy book to read. Fred Rogers lived his life according to his beliefs & ethics – he dedicated his entire life to transforming the lives & education of small children. He wasn’t an entertainer, he was an educator – an educator of small children, an educator of their parents & an educator of society as a whole – that small children are not small adults; to be seen & not heard. They need to be listened to, to be met on their level, to be loved & liked just as they are!! We all need that! I wish I’d found this philosophy when my own daughter was small. I loved this book & I think you will too!!
B A Symons –
This book was a real eye-opener for me! From the first chapter I could tell it was written with deep respect & love. I’d heard of Fred Rogers, but I don’t remember watching his programs, yet I often find myself singing the “Would You Be My Neighbor” song when I’m feeling upbeat & happy! I would encourage everyone to read the life story of Mr Rogers! He lived his life giving to others. This isn’t a light, easy book to read. Fred Rogers lived his life according to his beliefs & ethics – he dedicated his entire life to transforming the lives & education of small children. He wasn’t an entertainer, he was an educator – an educator of small children, an educator of their parents & an educator of society as a whole – that small children are not small adults; to be seen & not heard. They need to be listened to, to be met on their level, to be loved & liked just as they are!! We all need that! I wish I’d found this philosophy when my own daughter was small. I loved this book & I think you will too!!
james –
I learned so much….. Not only about Mr.Rogers himself, but it allowed me to, encouraged me to think outside of my box!
james –
I learned so much….. Not only about Mr.Rogers himself, but it allowed me to, encouraged me to think outside of my box!
james –
I learned so much….. Not only about Mr.Rogers himself, but it allowed me to, encouraged me to think outside of my box!
james –
I learned so much….. Not only about Mr.Rogers himself, but it allowed me to, encouraged me to think outside of my box!
Kindle CustomerNL –
I had a hard time following this book. The first chapter, an introduction, was really long. I thought there would be more stoties– that’s why I like biographies. There is just something missing.
Kindle CustomerNL –
I had a hard time following this book. The first chapter, an introduction, was really long. I thought there would be more stoties– that’s why I like biographies. There is just something missing.
Kindle CustomerNL –
I had a hard time following this book. The first chapter, an introduction, was really long. I thought there would be more stoties– that’s why I like biographies. There is just something missing.
Kindle CustomerNL –
I had a hard time following this book. The first chapter, an introduction, was really long. I thought there would be more stoties– that’s why I like biographies. There is just something missing.