The good neighbor book summary

Hello Neighbour! Many of children and adults alike have come to know the wonders of Fred Rogers during a long career in children’s education television. Maxwell King seeks to revive an interest in Mr. Rogers and his extensive impact that touched the lives of thousands over a career that spanned six decades. The young Fred Rogers was quite introverted and bullied, choosing to hide away in his family’s third floor home, where he had his own puppet theatre. King writes of how Rogers would use his time with puppets to work out many of his emotions, away from those who may judge or mock him. Rogers was an attentive student and did well in school, but had trouble finding his niche in college. It was only when he travelled to Florida that Rogers was able to complete a degree in music that he felt himself completely satisfied, especially since it was there that he met his wife. Returning to Pittsburgh, Rogers discovered the new medium of television and noticed just how horrible it was, lacking anything substantial for children. Thus began Rogers’ lifelong mission, to create children’s programming that would educate and entertain in equal measure. Rogers moved to New York with his new wife to hone his skills as he worked for NBC. He learned some of the tricks of the trade while also discovering many of the pitfalls of trying to develop programming. King explores how Rogers discovered the importance of speaking directly to the child through the television, creating a one-on-one relationship to better connect and deliver his message. When WQED came calling, Rogers returned to Pittsburgh to help the start-up network with some of its early programming. Rogers began honing his need to speak to children at their level, linguistically and emotionally, even when his ideas clashed with those of his collaborators and bosses. Rogers used puppets and wrote many of the songs used on screen to communicate with children and foster a passion. King explores a brief sojourn to Canada for the Rogers family, where Fred worked with the CBC to develop Mr. Rogers, the precursor to his highly successful program. While Rogers did enjoy some aspects of his time in Canada, there were also a number of issues with his young boys that helps push Rogers to return to Pittsburgh, though he had no job prospects. It was only through hard work and dedication that Fred Rogers could sell his Mr. Rogers idea to WQED in an expanded format. Rogers was able to do so, particularly with the backing of eminent child developmental psychologist Dr. Margaret McFarland, as well as Dr. Benjamin Spock and Erik Erikson. Pittsburgh was rife with talent and academic genius in the mid-1960s from which Rogers could easily pluck new and exciting ideas. As King reiterates throughout, Rogers sought their advice when he launched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and throughout much of his time on the air. The show sought to captivate children from 2-5 years of age with simple to digest themes, but never shied away from reality, choosing not to shield children from topics that would affect them, as long as they were presented appropriately. This overarching theme endeared Rogers to many children (and their families) as he pushed to let the child learn in concepts they could understand at a slower pace. King spends chapters exploring the progress that Rogers made with his staple programming, including when he hung up his sneakers and cardigan for a time in the mid-70s. While Rogers took up seminary studies and was an ordained Presbyterian minister, he chose never to instil his Christian views or many of his social sentiments in shows, hosting Christmas specials but adding that there are many ways that people celebrate. From life on the house set to the World of Make-Believe, Fred Rogers was constantly trying to help children through themes—both subtle and blatant—that would help them grow. From death to divorce, machines to music, Fred Rogers brought the word to children, one 28 minute episode at a time, loving each viewer just the way they were. Brilliantly written in ways that touched my heart and brought back so many memories. Maxwell King ignites memories of childhood that bring a warm and fuzzy feeling. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a stroll down memory lane, as well as the reader who wishes to hear all about the inner workings of a great children’s educator.

I could not wait to get my hands on this book. As soon as I started, I knew I would be pulled into my early childhood years, taking back to time sitting around the television. Maxwell King effectively tells the story of Fred Rogers and how he changed the lives of so many children by passionately listening to them and not being afraid to ask others for help. He chose not to take a condescending approach, but advocated for the child from their perspective, rather than using his name recognition to force change upon society. Fred Rogers grew up in wealth, but did not use this to his advantage, choosing instead to amass riches in the joy he brought to others. King writes in such a fluid manner that the reader is soon lost in the narrative and is learning at every flip of the page. King spares no detail in recounting the life events that made Fred Rogers a success, but also chose key events in his life to better understand the arc Rogers made in public broadcasting and the rights of the child to learn without distraction of advertisement, violence, or flashy gimmicks. As King reiterates throughout, Rogers required a slower pace and smooth delivery to show children that their pace was the right pace to learn, but also chose to include follies into his program, underlining the fact that perfection is not part of the learning experience. Maxwell King has done much research, pulling out countless interviews, archived clips of shows, and pieces written about Fred Rogers throughout his life, all to develop this well-rounded biography of a man who quietly took hold on the North American television market from the late 1950s through to 2003. As King writes, wherever Fred Rogers went, he was swarmed by happy toddlers and young children. He was happy to stop and talk to these children, be it in his own voice or that of one of the many puppets he brought to life on the show. Do stop in the next time you are in the Neighborhood or take Trolley if you feel you need a little extra direction. I know I will!

Kudos, Mr. King, for this sensational piece. I found myself tearing up numerous times as I remembered moments from my childhood that were shaped by Fred Rogers. He will be missed, but your book breathed new and exhilarating life into him.

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