While planting a seed, Mister Rogers talks about how long it takes for plants to grow. He shows a factory video of how people make orange juice and visits Brockett’s Bakery to find things made out of oranges. In Make-Believe, an “orange-o-gram” arrives from X the Owl’s cousin Mary who’s planning a visit. Lady Aberlin recites a poem about cousins. Mister Rogers talks about the good feeling we get from giving to others, particularly when the receiver really likes the gift.
Mister Rogers shows a video of a bird family, and an origami artist demonstrates how to make paper birds and puppets. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a puppet couple, Betty and James, adopt a baby daughter. X the Owl has a special welcome for Cousin Mary. Mister Rogers talks about how there are many different kinds of families of birds, just like there are many different kinds of families of people.
Mister Rogers visits a pediatrician to show young viewers what might happen during a child’s routine checkup. He talks about things that don’t hurt and things that might for just a moment, like a “shot.” In Make-Believe, cousin Mary Owl is planning a cousin reunion.Everyone who is a cousin or has a cousin is invited to attend. Dr. Platypus finishes examining the newly adopted baby. Mister Rogers talks about how important it is to know we are loved, no matter how we came into our family.
Mister Rogers talks about how children are curious about families and about adoption and talks about his family’s adoption of his own sister. He shows a video about different families in his Neighborhood and reads a book “Exactly As I Am” about loving others even if they look different than we do. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, there’s lots of talk about adoption when Ana wonders if she was adopted.
Mister Rogers takes a field visit to Sea World and goes behind the scenes to to look at the penguin families there. In Make-Believe, the cousin reunion takes place, and Daniel is relieved to find out that “kissing cousins” is just an expression, and that he doesn’t have to kiss any cousin if he doesn’t want to. Mister Rogers helps children know that there are many different kinds of families and different ways to express love. He talks about how every person in the world is different from everybody else.