Mister Messy

Charles Roger Hargreaves was an English author and illustrator of children's books. He created the Mr. Men series, Little Miss series and Timbuctoo series, intended for young readers. The simple and humorous stories, with bold, brightly coloured illustrations, have sold over 85 million copies worldwide in 20 languages. Hargreaves and his wife had four children. The first of the Mr. Men characters was allegedly created when Hargreaves's son Adam, then 8, asked his father what a tickle looked like. Hargreaves drew a figure with a round orange body and long arms which became Mr. Tickle. The book was published in August of 1971 and the books became an instant success, selling over one million copies within three years. The Little Miss series of books was launched and in 1983, and each series was made into an animated television show. Hargreaves died at the age of 53 following a stroke. After his death, his son, Adam, continued writing and drawing the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters with new stories (while signing the covers in his father's signature). Although Hargreaves wrote many other children's stories—including the Timbuctoo series of 25 books, John Mouse and the Roundy and Squarey books—he is best known for his 46 Mr. Men and 33 Little Miss books. --adapted from Wikipedia