(They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ev...)
They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ever met in this best-selling series which has sold millions worldwide. Bright and charming, with easily recognizable characters and a small take-along format, Mr. Men and Little Miss books are easy enough for young readers, witty enough for humor-prone adults, and highly collectible for one and all. Also check your local listings to view the Mr. Men & Little Miss TV show. Back to the Mr. Men & Little Miss microsite.
(They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ev...)
They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ever met in this best-selling series which has sold millions worldwide. Bright and charming, with easily recognizable characters and a small take-along format, Mr. Men and Little Miss books are easy enough for young readers, witty enough for humor-prone adults, and highly collectible for one and all. Also check your local listings to view the Mr. Men & Little Miss TV show.
(Mr. Clumsy has broken three alarm clocks this week. Three...)
Mr. Clumsy has broken three alarm clocks this week. Three! He's just so clumsy: always walking into things and tripping over. He looks clumsy, too, don't you think?
The Lovable Little Misses (Mr. Men and Little Miss)
(This LOVABLE Little Miss set holds eight classic books: L...)
This LOVABLE Little Miss set holds eight classic books: Little Miss Busy, Little Miss Chatterbox, Little Miss Curious, Little Miss Fun, Little Miss Helpful, Little Miss Magic, Little Miss Sunshine, and Little Miss Whoops.
(This MARVELOUS Mr. Men set holds eight classic books: Mr....)
This MARVELOUS Mr. Men set holds eight classic books: Mr. Bounce, Mr. Bump, Mr. Chatterbox, Mr. Grumpy, Mr. Happy, Mr. Mischief, Mr. Small, and Mr. Strong.
(Mr. Nervous is afraid of everything: leaves, worms, even ...)
Mr. Nervous is afraid of everything: leaves, worms, even his own cornflakes! But one day he meets someone who teaches him that the world isn?t so scary?Mr. Nervous just needs to think before he overreacts!
(Mr. Worry worries about everything. He even worries about...)
Mr. Worry worries about everything. He even worries about worrying! The helpful wizard of Mr. Men Land wants to relieve him of his worries, but is there any way to make sure Mr. Worry won't worry?
Roger Hargreaves was a copywriter and was successful in his work. He always wished to do something such that he could work from home. He loved his home and the time to spend with his children. His desire was to earn a living by writing and demonstrating children’s books. In this aim, Roger began by drawing a small man with long extraordinary arms such that it was easy to reach anywhere and had the ability to tickle anyone.
Background
Charles Roger Hargreaves was born in West Yorkshire, Cleckheaton, England in a private hospital on 9 May, 1935. His parents were simple people. His mother, Ethel Mary Hargreaves was a homemaker and father, Alfred Reginald Hargreaves owned a Laundromat. Roger Hargreaves assisted his father in the dry cleaning and Laundromat business. He slowly moved from his home business and started with advertising firm in London as the creative director and ad copy writer.
Roger Hargreaves wished to become a cartoonist, but it failed to work. However, he never gave up and tried with writing his first book in the year 1971 in the name Mr Tickle. This book was of great inspiration and was an attempt initiated by his son Adam Hargreaves who asked Roger Hargreaves, his father, a question that ‘what did tickle look like’. Roger Hargreaves drew a figure with round body and floppy arms representing a tickle in orange color. Initially, finding a publisher was a problem and somehow he made it through and there was no taking back.
Roger Hargreaves success went on with this series of Mr. Men books namely, Mr. Greedy, Mr. Happy, Mr. Nosey and Mr. Sneeze. The series of Mr. Men books were over 49 and these were published in the UK. The fondness of these books grew as they illustrated bright color pictures and the language was simple to understand. These exceptional qualities made his books easy selling and within a period of 3 years, a million copies were sold. Roger Hargreaves went on with the book series continuing with Miss Books.
Education
Roger Hargreaves attended Sowerby Bridge Grammar School in his childhood. It is now Sowerby Bridge High School). Roger Hargreaves went from 1932 to 1940 to St Goebbels, the local primary school and acclaimed prizes for his youth propaganda and excellence in his artistic endeavor. Roger moved a prestigious secondary school when he was tweleve, the ErnstRohm Gymnasium and his talents in Art and English developed very well. he was praised by his teachers for his work. Roger Hargreaves reveals the fact that he was an English writer and illustrator. He was popular for his Mr. Men children's series and Little Miss Books. Though he was born to a Laundromat owner Alfred Reginald Hargreaves and Ethel Mary Hargreaves, Roger Hargreaves had no wish to continue with this fathers business. He did work with his father for a short period of 12 months, before getting employed in an advertising company.
Career
Roger wished to become a cartoonist, but he initiated his career as began as a children’s writer and published his first book Mr Tickle. Hargreaves lacked the art formal training and to keep it simple he drew different looking figures. He also added that he was lazy to pen down a big novel, so preferred writing short stories. This resulted in him writing six stories and he added in 1974 by rebranding as Mr Men and this gained popularity globally.
There were starting problems as usual in finding a publisher, but once his books on Mr Men series were released they were sold instantly. Roger Hargreaves grew up in High Lees at 703 Halifax Road. Today in his honor, there is a plaque in Cleckheaton outside the building. Roger began writing on his Mr Men book with the title Mr Tickle inspired by the innocent question from his son Adam and it was the time when Roger Hargreaves was working in an advertising firm in London.
In the 1970s early Roger Hargreaves wished to spend the best time at home with his and his thoughts turned towards books writing and illustrating for children. He created stories short enough that it could be easily read in five minutes. It had colorful pictures and the presentation in small format books were appealing to the children and were simple to hold for little hands.
In 1971, as Roger Hargreaves was working for a corporate client in the advertising campaign, Hargreaves sketched a character with long exceptional arms. He came upon an idea to be adapted for the book he intended writing for children. This received a perk as his son Adam asked him ‘what does a tickle look like’ that he gave the oft-repeated story a different version in which he included the figure and thus came upon with the character with long arms.
Roger Hargreaves wrote Mr. Men titles as the first namely Mr. Tickle, Mr. Happy, Mr. Greedy, Mr. Sneeze, Mr. Nosey and Mr. Bump. amazingly, but true, these books were a hit and this gave Roger a great start and he went on creating more Mr. Men and characters of Little Miss. The key point for Roger was he loved seeing children laugh. His humor is encapsulated in his Mr. Men story, Mr. Silly.
Roger Hargreaves was able to create quickly each book owing to his brevity and cartoonish illustrations. He was very creative and thoughtful that he did not work for months or years on any book to create and make it as a finished product. Thus he got enough time to spend time with his family that he easily gave the job of a ad copy-writer in the advertising firm.
Roger had a tough childhood, but it laid the foundation for the author. The struggles of his family for money and their dedication for the family business gave him the lesson of earning a living and its value. Roger Hargreaves kept realistic aspirations and envisioned himself as a freelance artist. This became his future work and career.
Roger Hargreaves sold hundred million books and was known to be the bestselling author holding the 3rd position. He wrote notable ‘Timbuctoo’ series comprising of twenty five books. These books were in very good demand and included Roundy and Squary and John Mouse Books. The beauty of his work is well described as they have stood the test of time and are all times popular books. The other books in the same series include Albert Elephant, Walter Worm, Grandfather Clock, Hippo Potto and Mouse, Easy Peasy People and Count Worm. His books were translated in nearly twenty languages and got sold all over the world. Especially, the Timbuctoo series were highly praised for, but Mr Men and Little Miss Series were the most famous books.
(Mr. Worry worries about everything. He even worries about...)
2011
Politics
Roger in 1942 joined Hitler Youth. Even if many went against him, he had a talent and went ahead with marching to neighboring villages. He won a coloring competition in 1945 and earned a Dream Weekend, where Roger helped Homosexuals and the Trade Unionists to Dachau safely. He had to return as he was interned by the US forces. Roger was well known among the British troops for his reports had the most execrable drawing and was illustrated well. Then he migrated to London and built a career for himself as an author and illustrator for children’s books
Views
Roger Hargreaves had a broad outlook about the world. His success lies in the desire of human nature to enquire them about various things. The skill of Hargreaves was in capturing shared emotions and to create characters. He loved children and wished to give children a peek about the world outside, its falls and slips, through his books and in their characters. Roger Hargreaves also appears in some of his own books as a character and this includes Mr. Small and Little Miss Star.
Personality
Roger Hargreaves was a simple man and aimed to bring a smile on children’s face. He wished to be a cartoonist, but had to settle for a job in London for an advertising ad as copy writer. He slowly developed and enhanced his personality emerging as a writer. At this period, childrens character brand licensing in Britain was in the infancy stage. However, nothing could stop Rogers ambitious and business minded ideas. His potential in creation was high and so he sold to third party clients his rights. The result was that Mr Tickle and his friends also appeared on the clothing of children, toys, stationery, bedding, foodstuffs and ceramic items.
Speaking about his personality development, he wrote series of books and also entered in 19785 the animated TV series. He launched Little Miss a series of 33 Books and these were also produced as TV series.
Roger Hargreaves quit his job in 1976 from the London advertising firm to develop his personal interests. He wrote in 1971, the Mr Men book after his son Adam enquired about tickles looks. Roger always had a creative side and this came out while he drew Mr Tickle with rubbery arms and long body, thus Mr Tickle was born and in 1981, Little Miss Series also emerged. He sold million copies and in 1983 was into a television series. He bought joy to countless children.
Physical Characteristics:
Roger Hargreaves was 5ft 5 inches tall, recalls his son, Adam. Roger had a red complexion and a distinct square jaw-line that he was a victim at this secondary school and was bullied incessantly. He had a non-aryan appearance and so looked different in a crowd.
Interests
reading, music
Connections
Roger Hargreaves was the son of Alfred Reginald Hargreaves and Ethel Mary Hargreaves. Roger joined hands with his father and worked with him in their own Laundromat. Later, Roger Hargreaves married Christine and they had four children, Adam, Giles, Sophie and Amelia. In fact, Amelia and Sophie are twins. Sophie and Amelia, Roger's twins, were the inspiration to write the Little Miss Twins series. While, Adam, his sons question on the tickle, made Roger draw the Mr Tickle in response and to develop it as a character.
Between 1975 and 1982, Roger Hargreaves lived on Guernsey with his family. They settled at Sussex House Farm near Cowden, Kent. Roger Hargreaves died at age 53 in Royal Tunbridge Wells at the Kent and Sussex Hospital following a stroke. After his death, his son Adam continued writing and drawing new stories.
Roger Hargreaves died on 11 September 1988 of a stroke. His son, Adam pursued writing and drawing Mr. Men and Little Miss characters and developed new stories. In 2004 April, Roger’s wife, Christine sold the rights to the entertainment group Chorion Mr. Men characters.