★ “Scribbly lines, soft colors, and earnest storytelling create an open, affectionate atmosphere perfectly in keeping with Rogers’s quiet strength and generous heart.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ “The illustrations bring home the joy that Rogers brought to families every day. . . . In a crowded field of Mister Rogers books, this gorgeous offering stands apart.”—Booklist, Starred Review
★ “this book is successful in returning the focus to a child audience, explaining how Rogers was unique and describing his lasting influence. The illustrations include many elements from the show; the act of identifying these details feels like a treasure hunt. . . . Caldecott-winning author Cordell and the iconic Mister Rogers have a lot of neighbors.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review
★ “Essential for storytime read-alouds, emotional-literacy curricula, and bedtime snuggles in neighborhoods everywhere.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“We get to see the underpinnings of his long-running show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” where everything is intentional — how he tackles feelings good and bad, welcomes differences, nurtures curiosity, fuels imagination and sings out his reassurance to kids. . . . Many quotations add Rogers’ own voice to bolster his standing as a model of kindness and caring.” —The San Francisco Chronicle
“Matthew Cordell has written a book for adults to read to children, but as an illustrator, he also intuitively designed Hello, Neighbor! for children first. As my children began looking through the book, they did not linger over the words at all; they LOOKED without reading, and they were fascinated by what they saw.“—NPR.org
“Enhanced by endnotes of fascinating facts from the neighborhood and his life, the book and its illustrations have the intriguing feel of turning pages in a family scrapbook. This lovely reminder of the quiet, compassionate television host is the perfect book to encourage children to talk about kindness, about sadness, and about acceptance.”—The Christian Science Monitor
“This authorized biography of Fred Rogers opens as did his iconic television program, with a stoplight flashing yellow, signaling that it is time to slow down and enjoy your surroundings. It’s a fitting message for readers who met Mister Rogers as young visitors to his Neighborhood. . . . Cordell’s loose pen, ink, and watercolor drawings reflect the leisurely pace of Rogers’s speaking and writing styles, while the text is with gentle reminders of his philosophy.. A fine tribute to a fine man.”—The Horn Book
