good neighbor the life and work of fred rogers

This wasn’t good television-at least, good adult television. Winfrey and her producers ignored his request and filled her studio with young children and their mothers.Īuthor 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. One of many touching stories told is the story of his appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in 1985, when Rogers issued strict No children were to be present during the taping. Based on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, biographer Maxwell King traces Rogers’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work.

The Good Neighbor is the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, a staple of public television and an icon to generations of children. 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. 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.įred Rogers (1928–2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television.

In today’s ugly climate, full of bitterness and rage on all sides, Rogers’s example feels more necessary than ever.” - Washington Post An engaging story, rich in detail, The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure, cherished by multiple generations.“King is a skilled storyteller. King explores Rogers's surprising decision to walk away from his show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers's personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work. 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. Through his long-running television program, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness. Fred Rogers was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children. The New York Times bestseller: 'A superb, thoughtful biography' of the creator and star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (David McCullough).

Good neighbor the life and work of fred rogers