87. Fred's Big Feelings

Fred's Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers. Laura Renauld. Illustrated by Brigette Barrager. 2020. [January] 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Hello, neighbor! It's a beautiful day. Come in. Look around. What do you see?

Premise/plot: Fred's Big Feelings is a picture book biography of Fred Rogers (aka Mister Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fame). Renauld has chosen to tell the story of his life with a special emphasis on his feelings. This makes sense since he openly talked on the show about how it was okay to talk about feelings and essentially taught viewers of all ages how to cope with emotions and feelings.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED this one. I thought the writing was excellent! The illustrations were wonderful.

Here's an example of the narrative:

Freddy took refuge at the piano. Soon, his feelings were flowing through his fingertips. Worry fretted and fussed....and faded. Sadness wailed and whimpered...and waned. Anger crashed and clattered...and calmed. Music allowed Freddy to express himself, but it was his grandfather McFeely's message of unconditional love that boosted Fred's self-esteem: "You made this day a really special day just by being yourself...and I happen to like you just the way you are."

Isn't it both beautifully written and TRUE to the spirit and legacy of Mister Rogers?! 

I think my favorite spread shows Mr. Rogers in iconic moments from the show.

Look! Mister Rogers feels playful. He is taking a juggling lesson. Mister Rogers feels sad. One of his goldfish has died. Mister Rogers feels welcoming. He invites Officer Clemmons to soak his feet. Mister Rogers feels joyful. He visits with special guests, like cellist Yo-Yo Ma, dancer Ying Li, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, and even Koko the gorilla.

Or perhaps my favorite bit tells of when Mister Rogers went to Congress to speak about public television. 

All of this book was wonderful. It was just a joy to read. It is a wonderful tribute to a life lived well.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers