Poetry Picture Book - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood by Fred Rogers

The Poetry of Mr. Rogers
Illustrated by Luke Flowers

2019, The Fred Rogers Company

HC $19/99

143 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  

My rating:  3
Endpapers:  pale blue with scrolling words from his poetry.

My comments:  Well.....this is going to be a wonderful book for a lot of people.  IMHO the illustrations are rather bland and old-fashioned, and Mr. Rogers' poetry wasn't exactly the gretest.  But it keeps alive the memory of the man and his wonderful television show.  However, his poetry from the show doesn't translate into book form in the best way.

Goodreads:  The New York Times Best Seller 
           For the first time ever, 75 beloved songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and The Children's Corner are collected in this charmingly illustrated treasury, sure to be cherished by generations of children as well as the millions of adults who grew up with Mister Rogers

Things Are Different

You never know the story

By the cover of the book.

you can't tell what a dinner's like

by simply looking at the cook.

It's something everybody needs to know

way down deep inside

that things are often different

than the way they look.

When I put on a costume

to play a fancy part

that costume changes just my looks,

it doesn't change my heart.

You cannot know what someone's thinking

by the picture you just took

'cause things are often different

from the way they look.

I can totally imagine chanting and acting the following out at a Toddler Time or a Preschool Storytime:

Doing Song

Clap your hands

Blow a kiss

Make a face

Like this!

Snap your thumbs

Shake your head

Make-believe

You're in bed.

Blink your eyes

Stretch your arms

Stank up straight

Look for farms.

Her's the horse (Neigh!)

Here's the cow (Mooo!)

Here's the sheep (Baaa!)

You can bow.

Here's the duck (Quack, quack!)

Here's the cat (Meow!)

Here's the dog (Bark!)

Here's your hat.

Wave goodbye

Drive the car

Throw the ball

Throw it far.

Eat your meal

Sing a song

Brush your teeth

Hear ding-dong!

Hug your pillow

Click the light

Hug youself

Say goodnight.  (Goodnight!)

It's an Ugly Day

It's an ugly day

made of mugly gray

it's a sit-down-by-the-fire

and be snuggly day

It's a cloudy day

and a dowdy day

It's a play-some-Chinese-checkers

read-out-loud day.

It's a day to cuddle up

with chocolate cookie

hook a rug or knit --

'Cause it's an ugly day

made of mugly gray

it's a better-wear-your-sweater

and by snuggly day.

If we pop us some corn

and have cinnamon toast

I'd say we'd made the most

Of an ugly day.