Rogers becomes somehow even more enchanting. But in King's nearly 400-page biography of Fred Rogers, which thoroughly details everything from a bullied childhood (classmates called him Fat Freddy) to reflections on the psychological power of puppetry, the inimitable Mr.
Sometimes, learning too much about a person can make his magic disappear. Readers looking for an incisive examination of Rogers's impact will not find one here.
Rogers has been criticized for promoting a culture of televisual passivity and coddling-he once retaped a scene in which a pot of popcorn overflowed because he thought the spillage might frighten young viewers-but King's hagiography skirts those issues. In King's glowing portrait, Rogers, who was also a Presbyterian minister, was a protector of family values-he refused to advertise merchandise to kids-as well as an exemplar of "caring, kindness and modesty," who was dubbed "the most Christ-like human being I have ever encountered" by a fellow clergyman. Rogers became famous for his show, which blended puppets, songs, conversational lessons on everything from cleaning up messes to weathering divorce, and reassurances that kids are fine the way they are, all based on the latest child-development theories. King, a former Philadelphia Inquirer editor who knew Fred Rogers before his death, paints him as a genius with an uncanny rapport with children-sprouted from boyhood struggles with wealthy, smothering parents, bullies, and asthma-and a determination to alleviate their angst. The creator and host of the 1968-2001 children's television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was a paragon of friendliness, according to this adulatory biography. An engaging story, rich in detail, The Good N eighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure, cherished by multiple generations. 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. The Good Neighbor, the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Rogers was fiercely devoted to children and to taking their fears, concerns, and questions about the world seriously. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness.
Fred Rogers (1928-2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children.
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