Witness History My dad created Mr Men and Little Miss
9 snips
Feb 6, 2026 
Adam Hargreaves, son of creator Roger Hargreaves and an author‑illustrator who continued the Mr Men and Little Miss books, recounts how a child's question inspired Mr Tickle. He talks about his father's advertising roots, the simple drawing and mock‑up that launched the series, its rapid rise into TV and merchandise, and how Adam later carried on and added his own characters.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
A Child's Question Started It All
- Adam Hargreaves recounts asking his father, Roger Hargreaves, a simple breakfast question that sparked a character idea.
- That question, "What does a tickle look like?", led Roger to draw Mr Tickle and start the Mr Men series.
Personifying Traits Made Characters Memorable
- Roger turned human traits and emotions into simple, personified characters to reveal human nature playfully.
- The books mix humour with light moral lessons while keeping stories short and accessible to children.
DIY Mock-Up Led To First Publication
- Roger made a thick-card mock-up of Mr Tickle because his markers bled through ordinary paper and bound it with tape.
- Publishers initially rejected the mock-up until friend Jack Thurman offered to publish if Roger wrote more.
