How Mr Tickle Tickled The World

Fifty years after they began, Mr Men books have sold 85 million copies. Teacher Kath Garner pays tribute to the brilliant adman behind them

It began 50 years ago with an orange blob – which became a tickle – that became one of the characters in the phenomenon that became the Mr Men series of books. These iconic little books remain as popular as ever and seal Roger Hargreaves’s position as one of the bestselling children’s authors in Britain.

The idea for Mr Tickle, the Mr Man with the orange body and extraordinarily long arms (Roger himself was six foot five), is thought to have come out of a conversation with his then-six-year-old son, Adam. Adam apparently asked, ‘What does a tickle look like?’

Or was Mr Tickle purely a character who evolved from Roger’s vivid imagination? No one knows. But the character led to a series of over 85 books that captured the hearts of the nation’s children and quickly became a bedtime favourite read. The latest, out this year, is Little Miss Kind.

Following National Service in the RAF, Yorkshire-born Roger Hargreaves (1935-88) began in advertising, working his way from junior copyrighter to creative director. But an early talent for drawing, a keen sense of humour and a desire to spend more time at home with his young family led him to try fulfilling a childhood ambition of becoming a cartoonist.

Turning his thoughts to children’s books, Roger, led by his experience in advertising, was very clear on what he was trying to achieve. He wanted to create a short read (one that could be enjoyed in five minutes); something bright and colourful with engaging pictures that even the youngest child would find appealing; and something presented in a small format so that it was easy for little hands to hold.