Roger Hargreaves

Lore & Background

Hargreaves was born in a private hospital at 1 Bath Road, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, England, on 9 May 1935 to Alfred Reginald Hargreaves and Ethel Mary Hargreaves. He grew up at 703 Halifax Road, Hartshead Moor, Cleckheaton. He attended Sowerby Bridge Grammar School, then worked in his father's laundry and dry-cleaning business before gaining employment in advertising. By 1968, he was creative director of the Foote, Cone & Belding agency.

In 1971, he created the Miseries characters for Askit Powders television adverts. Also in 1971, while working as creative director at a London firm, he wrote the first Mr. Men book, Mr. Tickle. The books became an instant success, selling more than one million copies within three years. In 1974, the books spawned a BBC animated television series narrated by Arthur Lowe.

By 1976, Hargreaves had quit his day job. In 1981, the Little Miss series was launched, and in 1983 it was made into a television series narrated by Pauline Collins and John Alderton. Hargreaves wrote many other children's stories, including the Timbuctoo series of 25 books, John Mouse and the Roundy and Squary books, but is best known for his 46 Mr. Men and 33 Little Miss books.

He and his wife had four children: Adam, Giles and twins Sophie and Amelia. Between 1975 and 1982, he lived with his family on Guernsey, then settled at Sussex House Farm near Cowden, Kent. He died on 11 September 1988 at the age of 53 at the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Royal Tunbridge Wells following a stroke. He was buried in Cowden, East Sussex.

After his death, his son Adam continued writing and drawing the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters. In April 2004, Hargreaves' widow Christine sold the rights to the Mr. Men characters to Chorion for £28 million. In December 2011, Chorion sold the Mr. Men brand to Sanrio. On 4 March 2021, Hargreaves was posthumously awarded a gold Blue Peter badge.

Reader's Guide

The Mr. Men and Little Miss series, created by Roger Hargreaves, are defined by their simple, humorous stories and bold, brightly coloured illustrations. The books were intended for very young readers and achieved enormous commercial success, selling more than 85 million copies worldwide and being translated into 20 languages. The first Mr. Men book, Mr. Tickle, was written in 1971 while Hargreaves was working as a creative director at a London advertising agency. After initial difficulty finding a publisher, the book became an instant success, selling over one million copies within three years.

This success led to a BBC animated television series in 1974, narrated by Arthur Lowe, with a second series following the next year. By 1976, Hargreaves left his advertising career to focus on the books full-time. The Little Miss series launched in 1981, and was also adapted into a television series in 1983, narrated by Pauline Collins and John Alderton.

Although Hargreaves wrote many other children’s stories—including the 25-book Timbuctoo series, John Mouse, and the Roundy and Squary books—he remains best known for his 46 Mr. Men and 33 Little Miss titles. After his death in 1988, his son Adam Hargreaves continued writing and drawing new stories for the characters, signing the covers in his father’s signature. The brand’s commercial significance was underscored in 2004 when Hargreaves’ widow sold the rights to Chorion for £28 million; in 2011, the brand was sold to Japan’s Sanrio. In 2021, Hargreaves was posthumously awarded a gold Blue Peter badge.