Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood by Melissa Wagner

This month’s book recommendation is that bit of sunshine that we all need sometimes.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood holds a special place in the hearts of many, a bastion of warmth and kindness as he would start each episode by changing his shoes and putting on a cardigan before teaching an honest lesson about kindness, empathy, and love.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood by Melissa Wagner revisits many of those lessons, and chapters are accompanied by colorful, cozy artwork by Max Dalton and quotes from Mister Rogers.  With depictions of all of the citizens of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, this book is a heartwarming walk down memory lane that will remind you “You are special.”

As Lady Elaine once said, “Sometimes people are happy.  Sometimes people are sad.  Sometimes people are angry, and sometimes people are glad.  What are you gonna do?  That’s just the way it is.”

This book fills me with the innocent hope of childhood and the peace that I would feel as Mister Rogers fed his fish.  Read it for a quick pick-me-up and shot of nostalgia.

For a better look at the man himself, check out Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters More than Ever by Gavin Edwards and The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King.

If you’re looking for a movie to watch, check out the 2018 documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor or 2020’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is available in print through the Westmont Public Library.