This collection of essays addresses the enduring influence and importance of Fred Rogers' 40 years of work in children's television. The 14 essays explore his message of tolerance, courtesy, and self respect, and its influence on children and adults as a counterbalance to social pressures increasingly impinging on children today. The essays are: "Foreword: Born Again in Rogers" (Bob Garfield); (1) "Fred Rogers and the Significance of Story" (George Gerbner); (2) "'What is Essential Is Invisible to the Eye'" (Jeanne Marie Laskas); (3) "The Myth, the Man, the Legend" (David Bianculli); (4) "The Reality of Make-Believe" (Nancy E. Curry); (5) "Fred's Shoes: The Meaning of Transitions in 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'" (Roderick Townley); (6) Musical Notes: An Interview with Yo-Yo Ma" (Eugenia Zukerman); (7) "With an Open Hand: Puppetry on 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'" (Susan Linn); (8) The Theology of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'" (William Guy); (9) "Mister Rogers: Keeper of the Dream" (Paula Lawrence Wehmiller); (10) "Make-Believe, Truth, and Freedom: Television in the Public Interest" (Lynette Friedrich Cofer); (11) "Mister Rogers Speaks to Parents" (Ellen Galinsky); (12) "Other Viewers, Other Rooms" (Mary Rawson); (13) "A Neighborhood with Forest and Trees: Allies, Coalitions, Kids, and Mister Rogers" (Mark Shelton); (14) "A Very Special Neighborhood: A Photo Essay" (Lynn Johnson). With the exception of the photo essay, each article is preceded with an introduction from the editors. "A Nation of Neighborhoods," and an afterword by Marian Wright Edelman, highlights some of the most significant aspects of the changing context in which Fred Rogers has been enriching children's lives. (Contains chapter notes and 292 references.) (HTH)