While kids don’t have deadlines to worry about or bills to pay, childhood can still be stressful at times. Watching “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” for me and other kids, was a nice way to leave our troubles behind and visit a sweet, gentle, understanding soul, even for just a little while. Matt De Lanoy has rekindled some of my fondest childhood memories with this Neighborhood of Make-Believe layout. Far left we see Grander Tiger and his granddaughter Collette at the Eiffel Tower while Mr. McFeely makes a speedy delivery to King Friday the XIIIth and Queen Sara Saturday. About middle and to the right we see Lady Elaine Fairchild tending to her Museum Go-Round while to the right of her in the background is none other than Mr. Fred Rogers himself waving to his friends in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

A couple of favorite details features Officer François Clemmons as he pays a visit to oak tree denizens X the Owl and Henrietta Pussycat. A simple plate with handle is a clever way to build the shutters of Henrietta’s little tree house while dozens of sand green toothy plates make for an excellent leafy effect.

Here we see Lady Aberlin chatting with Daniel Tiger, who lives in a giant grandfather clock that has no hands. It is whatever time you want it to be in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The same toothy bits from the oak tree, but this time in white, adorns the clock’s pendulum while Daniel Tiger is a cute lion/tiger cub from a couple of different Friends sets.

I would love to ride the trolley all around this enchanting neighborhood and wave hello to all the denizens who live there as I go by. What details do you like best?