The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: This biography covers the life and work of Fred Rogers, famous for being both creator and star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which was viewed by tens of millions of children. Deeply devoted to children, Rogers was known for being a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness. Truly a man who was as good as he appeared, his whole life from beginning to end is characterized by kindness, hard work, and devotion to his interests and others. 

Born in 1928, Fred Rogers was raised in a wealthy home in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Despite their wealth, his parents were known for their progressive attitudes, hardworking and down to earth natures, and philanthropic activities. Fred was truly raised in their image and was extremely giving and hard working his whole life, often downplaying his wealth or attempting to hide it from others. Despite a loving family and wealthy home, Fred had a difficult childhood characterized by recurrent bouts of asthma and bullying for his weight. An only child until his sister was adopted when he was eleven, Fred was a great student and very musically gifted, a talent which later served him well on his show. Initially attending Dartmouth, he found he didn't fit in well and transferred to Rollins College, where he met his future wife, Joanne. 

Fred is just such an admirable character, which is truly reinforced by this biography. He was deeply concerned with the welfare and feelings of all children and was so thoughtful about every detail and the wording of everything shared on his show. He was never concerned with profits, eschewing advertising and marketing characters from the show. But he was deeply concerned with child development and worked closely with experts in the field to write many episodes. As a father to his own two sons, he was similarly thoughtful and kind. 

Fred Rogers never wanted the attention a biography would bring so this is the first every written about him and done so after his death. But it benefitted from interviews with his wife, sons, and colleagues. I do wish it had more of his personal life included. The focus was very much on his professional career, with just highlights from his personal life mentioned. In short, I would have liked more painstaking detail about each puppet featured on the show and more details about his relationship with his sons. Parts of the book got a bit dull as a result of this ruthless attention to every detail about the show. But it was an interesting insight into the man behind the show and the audio was narrated by LaVar Burton (of Reading Rainbow fame), which was enjoyable. 

Stars: 3.5