Roger and Adam Hargreaves' lovely, silly, wise Mr Men books celebrate their 45 birthday this year.
Here’s why they’re a guide for living…
This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.
A few years ago I went to a book signing at Selfridges so I could meet Adam Hargreaves.
It was a busy event and Adam was flanked by giant plush incarnations of Mr. Bump and Mr.
Happy, who seemed more popular than he was with the primarily school-age crowd.
Happy, kicking poor Mr Bump and utterly failing to form an orderly queue.
Is Craig a bit of a Grumble then?
In my mind, theyre nothing less than a work of genius.
Within 3 years, these affordable, pocket-sized and utterly irresistible stories had sold over a million copies.
The majority of the stories begin with each characters primary trait at its most heightened e.g.
Theyre a guide for living.
Theres more than just life lessons though.
Theres no limit to where their imaginations can take a plot.
Mr Happy sports a gigantic smile across his face but the doppelganger Mr Miserable wears a frown.
For me, a story like Mr Small is sweet and funny but also tremendously moving.
Its a classic outsider narrative but one that swaps cynicism for hope and warmth.
The more Mr Men books you read, the more it’s possible for you to appreciate the world-building.
All of this is brought beautifully to life by the prose and the artwork.
Both Hargreaveses write with a flawless economy that makes Hemingway look purple.
Likewise, the art simplistic at first glance is masterful.
Even after 45 years, this stuff just never gets old, whichever way you cut it.
