I used to have a handmade bookshelf when I was a kid that my Dad made. It was painted in deep red, the colour of a pomegranate jewel.  At each end, the sides were cut into the shape of horses heads in a Scandinavian style and there was a time when the whole bottom shelf of it was end-to-end with Mr.Men books.

The creator, author and illustrator behind these books was the sadly departed, Roger Hargreaves – a man who (along with Oliver Postgate and Co) has ploughed a recess in my mind that has allowed me to see the brilliance in the simplicity of story characters, but also to revere the skill of captivating an imagination through illustration. The books, and later the first two animated series by Flicks Films (Featuring the voice of Arthur Lowe from Dad’s Army) were a testament to the observational mind of Hargreaves. The Mr. Men world, was in effect a rather splendid way of teaching children to celebrate differences and diversity – with a good story thrown in.

Roger’s family have picked up where their Dad left off and when all said and done, they have managed to uphold the charming story-telling legacy that they inherited. Although, I have noticed a general lean towards a homogeneity of shape and form of the modernised Mr.Men characters – No more Mr. Skinny? Perhaps this a product of our soft-livered society or maybe it’s just progress. Either way, there’s a great interview with the Roger’s family on the Telegraph site about how they came to take over the Mr. Men Empire. It might also be worth having a peek a Roger’s incredible archive of work and perhaps, even meet some of the Mr.Men.