Laura Renauld

I read this for the "An Author Whose Last Name Starts With The Same Initial As Yours" part of my 2020 reading challenge. I thought this was very well done. I grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but I knew nothing about the story behind the show or of Fred himself. In only 40 pages Laura Renauld was able to highlight Fred's life in a way that is easy to relate to for all ages. It really showed his kindness and strength and his desire to help everyone. I loved how he treated everyone equally, and how he made feelings normal and accessible to children.… (más)

Choosing a title with a focus on feelings really defines for the reader the character of Fred Rogers. Written with a typical picture book biography tone, readers can settle in and enjoy this book. Readers follow the chronology of his life, some details famously known, others new.
As a young child, Fred Rogers knew he was different---that he experienced feelings differently than other people. These were Big Feelings. By learning to express and process his emotions through playing the piano and the love from his grandfather, Fred soon grew up carrying with him the strength of knowing who he was and confidence of being accepted unconditionally. This solid foundation gave him the determination and eyes to see the need for SEL TV programming for children. The evolution of an idea to fully developed end goal is on display here. Fred Rogers not only developed a show for children but eventually testified to congress for the funding to make quality children programming available.… (más)