Friday Reads: Mister Rogers Talks With Parents

Happy Friday! This week, public services librarian Kelly Clever shares her recent read, Mister Rogers Talks With Parents by Fred Rogers and Barry Head:

Kelly Clever with Mister Rogers Talks With Parents

"Since having my son (who had a meltdown in Rite Aid this morning, by the way), it has become very clear to me that no parent actually knows what they're doing. If anyone ever got close, though, I'd say it was probably Mister Rogers.

"Like nearly every other 80's baby in America, I grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. This year is the 50th anniversary of the first episodes, and since I live near where he grew up as a boy, there have been a lot of celebrations going on. When I found out that he had written a book to parents, I knew I had to read it.

"I've been so impressed by Mister Rogers' deep study of early childhood development and education. The book is written in his trademark easy-to-understand style, but it's obvious from the front matter and many of the examples he uses throughout the book that he used the best available research and consulted with leading experts of the day as he developed his television episodes and other materials.

"While I usually tell our education and psychology students to look for more recent publications than a book from 1983, I think most of Mister Rogers' observations and advice stand the test of time. (Just make sure to also use plenty of more current stuff to see how the fields have progressed in the last 35 years.)

"If you're a Mister Rogers fan, you're in a great location; he grew up in Latrobe, just down Route 30 from SHU. Why not take an afternoon to go visit Adams Memorial Library (which has plenty of Mister Rogers and Daniel Tiger stuff throughout the building), walk over to Fred Rogers Memorial Park and take a selfie with the statue, stop by the Fred Rogers Center at St. Vincent College, and wrap up with a quiet visit to Mister Rogers' final resting place in Unity Cemetery?"