Mister Rogers won the hearts of generations of American children and adults alike with his gentle compassion and entreaty to love all. With the success of the 2018 documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the imminent release of the 2019 drama A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, this year brings renewed public attention for the late TV personality. A number of books are being published about him for a wide variety of ages.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers

by Fred Rogers, illus. by Luke Flowers (Quirk, Mar., $19.99, ISBN 978-1-68369-113-6)

This bestselling collection includes 75 songs from Mister Rogers’s television shows, The Children’s Corner and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, pairing the poems with bright cartoon illustrations.

You Are My Friend: The Story of Mister Rogers and His Neighborhood

by Aimee Reid, illus. by Matt Phelan (Abrams, Aug., $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-3617-9)

This picture book looks at Mister Rogers’s childhood through a close lens, showing how “little Freddie” Rogers’ early struggles with illness often left him lonely. The text goes on to relay how he coped through puppetry and music, encouraged by his mother and grandfather. Dynamic pencil-and-watercolor illustrations add heart to the narrative; Mister Rogers’ characteristic handknit red cardigan is described here as having boyhood origins.

Who Was Mister Rogers?

by Diane Bailey and Who HQ, illus. by Dede Putra (Penguin Workshop, Oct. 15, trade paper, $5.99, ISBN 978-1-5247-9219-0)

This entry in the popular Who Was? series shares the facts of Mister Rogers’s life, and includes 80 black-and-white illustrations.

Exactly as You Are: The Life and Faith of Mister Rogers

by Shea Tuttle (Eerdmans, Oct. 22, $23.99, ISBN 978-0-8028-7655-3)

Highlighting Fred Rogers’s Christian upbringing and his ordainment as a Presbyterian minister, this biography is bolstered by critical analyses of interviews, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episodes, and his own writing, revealing how his faith resonated through his life and career.

Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers

by Laura Renauld, illus. by Brigette Barrager (S&S/Atheneum, Jan. 14, 2020, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-4122-4)

Mister Rogers’s emotions take center stage in this picture book, which shares how he conveyed the importance of expressing and managing feelings through his actions and television show.

Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mr. Rogers

by Matthew Cordell (Holiday House/Porter, May 5, 2020, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-4618-6)

Written and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Cordell, this authorized picture book biography sheds light on the quiet radicalism of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and the inspirational man behind it.