Fred Rogers, known to generations as the caring and gentle host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, has left an indelible mark on countless lives.
As a late Christmas present, consider a recent publication in his posthumous honor This Beautiful Day, offering 365 reflections drawn from his vast recorded legacy inviting readers to explore themes of kindness, community, and self-acceptance.
Whether navigating the ups and downs or seeking a moment of quiet reflection, every page is an invitation to generosity, compassion, and joy in Fred’s warm voice, reminding us of the inherent daily delights.
Rogers saw the potential and possibility of media to help children explore the world around them, with special emphasis on their social-emotional learning. His impact is still felt today in the hearts and minds of young people and adults who continue to be nurtured and inspired by his timeless wisdom.
Among the selections, you’ll find the following and so many more.
“I would like to tell you what I often told you when you were much younger: I like you just the way you are.”
“Many adults feel that they are falling short in one, if not all, of the “assignments” of their lives. They often feel they are failures. Well, people are not failures when they’re doing the best they can… Our performance doesn’t have to be measured against anyone else’s—just against our own abilities to cope.”
3. “There’s the good guy and the bad guy in all of us, but knowing that doesn’t ever need to overwhelm us. Whatever we adults can do to help ourselves—and anybody else—discover that that’s true can really make a difference in this life.”
4. “The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”
The moving introduction in This Beautiful Day by LeVar Burton, acclaimed actor and lifelong advocate for literacy and learning, adds an extra layer of warmth and perspective.
Burton’s role as the host of Reading Rainbow inspired generations of young readers. He writes “we met for the first time at a PBS function in Washington, DC, during the summer of 1983 or 1984, very early on in the production of Reading Rainbow. I remember being eager to meet the man behind what I was convinced was a television persona he’d created in Mr. Rogers. I was sure it was an act. It became immediately clear to me that Fred was not playing a character on TV; he was showing up as his authentic self in every episode.”
The book is part of the Day by Day series from Hachette Book Group, a collection of books designed to help readers infuse the rhythms of their lives with meaning and intention. Our lives are built by small choices, tiny moments, and quiet thoughts—The Day by Day series is a gentle way to choose those moments and begin to build a life you love.
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