I felt all the f e e l s opening up this book mail. Thank you so much, Quirk Books, for my ARC of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (available 3/19). Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood first premiered on PBS on this day fifty-one years ago!

I was lucky enough to grow up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and I truly believe that his lessons contributed to me growing into a good human being. Mister Rogers helped children feel safe, acknowledged and accepted while teaching them lessons about emotions, empathy, and growing up. He also offered parents tips to help their children express themselves and thrive.

My son loves watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which is a series inspired by Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. All of the characters are children of the puppets from Fred’s Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood offers the same lessons and helps children develop social and emotional skills. My husband and I have learned priceless parenting tips from this show. It is mind-blowing to see Mister Rogers’ efforts come full circle within my own family.

Mister Rogers’ valuable lessons and lyrics are all compiled into this beautiful book of poetry. I’ll be buying finished copies for my family and for gifts. If you haven’t already, go watch the video of a young Mr. Rogers challenging the cuts for Public Broadcasting and stressing the importance of his educational program to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee. I promise, it will give you chills and bring tears to your eyes.