Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Adventures in Friendship

In the award-winning documentary Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor, host Michael Keaton observed that the beloved Emmy and Peabody award-winning Fred Rogers used television to “soothe the soul, nurture the spirit, and teach the very young.” The late Rogers' legacy lives on in this engaging collection of two episodes from his outstanding children's series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Clad in his signature sweater and sneakers, Rogers was a trusted and comforting presence who encouraged his young "television friends" to be good neighbors, while treating themselves and others with respect. In "Friends," Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl learn that while friends do sometimes get mad at each other, it's more constructive to work together, and in "Love," Lady Aberlin seeks an answer to the question, "What is love?" (a trip to a local restaurant and a visit with mandolin maestro Peter Ostroushko further flesh out the fun). This deliberately-paced and gentle compilation--while certainly old school--exhibits virtues that are timeless. DVD extras here include a teddy bear factory tour, a recipe for pizza bagels, sing-along and read-along segments, and games and activities. Highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. [Note: also newly available on DVD is Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: A Day at the Circus.] (D. Liebenson)