I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers

Warning stickers should be attached to this audiobook warning people not to listen while driving or operating heavy machinery. Only Oscar the Grouch could resist weeping during this affecting tale of the unlikely friendship between children's television host Fred Rogers and Texas journalist Madigan. After writing a profile of Rogers, the two began to correspond. With Rogers's help, Madigan began to find emotional healing from old wounds and to repair broken relationships. Baskous narrates with a voice that is warm, deep and, well, neighborly. At times he slips into an inexplicable Southern accent, which fits neither the Minnesota-bred Madigan or the Pittsburgh-based Rogers, but the rich and smooth cadences of his narration bring Madigan's remembrances to life. The uplifting nature of the memoir and the satisfying tenderness of Baskous's interpretation will make this a welcome gift for anyone who has struggled with depression or loss. Simultaneous release with the Gotham hardcover (Reviews, May 15). (Oct.)