For many of us Mr. Rogers was as much a part of our lives as our parents were when we were small. I have heard so many adults these past two days bring up his death and remember a personal story about him and his shows from when they were young. Not only did they grow up watching him, but their children have grown up watching him. Fred Rogers understood children and his way of acting with them was so comforting to them that he became a universal "neighbor" to millions of children.
Aside from his show on PBS, Mr. Rogers also authored several children's books. Many people don't realize he published any at all, but his books are actually teaching tools and extensions of the show. The books liked to focus on "first time experiences." For example, a few of his titles included: "Going on an Airplane," "The New Baby," "Going to the Doctor" and "Going to the Potty." These were all first experience books to help children adjust to changes in their lives and the scary things that us adults have grown accustomed to and are often unaware how deeply they will effect children.
I found an article today in the Star Tribune that simply offered quotes by Fred Rogers that he had said over his lifetime. The link is: http://www.startribune.com/stories/389/3... . I don not know how long this link will stay active, but I hope you will be able to read thorugh some of his quotes before it is archives or taken off the site.
So this week as we look back on his great contributions to children's television and how incredibly he shaped the lives of so many kids across the world, I hope a few of you have learned that he continues to stay with us not only in reruns but also through his books.
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