It all started with a tickle. Roger Hargreaves’ son Adam asked him what a tickle looked like. In response, Roger drew a small orange man with extraordinarily long arms that could reach anywhere and tickle anyone. Mr Tickle, the first of the Mr Men, was born. Mr Tickle was soon joined by Mr Greedy, Mr Happy, Mr Nosey, Mr Sneeze and Mr Bump. The books were an instant hit and Roger went on to create many more Mr Men and Little Miss characters. What Roger really wanted was to make children laugh, which is probably why his own favourite character is Mr Silly.

The colourful characters have been delighting children since Mr Tickle first appeared on bookshelves in 1971. The IndependentThe timeless Mr Men books capture modern stereotypes perfectly. The TelegraphThe Mr Men and Little Miss characters remain a cultural phenomenon, whose impact is felt far beyond the nursery bookshelf. The Telegraph