Mr. Men and Little Miss’

With a 50-year legacy, the Mr. Men Little Miss brand has not only helped shape the global publishing scene, but also continues to evolve with it, with its latest iteration pioneering a new world of inclusivity and openness. LSB finds out more.

Making a difference one book at a time

Afamily favourite for 50 years, there’s a Mr. Men Little Miss character (or two) inside us all, with a diverse cast of over 90 beloved characters to discover.

Created by the late Roger Hargreaves, the series was first published in 1971 starting with Mr. Tickle. When Roger died in 1988, aged 53, his son Adam continued the business writing and drawing the books. These colourful characters changed global publishing forever and found their way into the hearts and bedtime stories of generations of children around the world, showcasing their remarkable evolution and their role in pioneering a new world of inclusivity and openness.

Mr. Men Little Miss’ growth has been impressive: the brand is well established in all Anglo-Saxon countries and some European markets, being the number one selling children’s book in France, the third biggest kids book brand in the UK and number two within that preschool market. It is rapidly expanding in Greece and Israel and most of all in China, where it has a constant double-digit growth rate.

Mr. Men Little Miss’ continued success in publishing is the result of pushing their talent, while publishers tackle themes and topics to ensure the brand constantly evolves and is relevant to new readers. Over the past ten years a diverse and inclusive publishing programme has been developed offering over 200 titles across ten different book series. These unique series of story books cover all formats, catering for every retail need and consumer base: from classics and everyday, to celebrations and adventures covering a range of cultures and Countries, touching also more adult tastes. The characters have even Above: Mr. Men Little Miss partnered with brands and celebrities have found their way into the hearts and bedtime stories of such as Dr Who, Spice Girls, Usain Bolt generations of children around and Assassin’s Creed. the world. Below: Little Miss Brave and The books are published in 17 Mr. Calm won the public vote to be turned into the next languages worldwide and distributed in books as part of the 50th more than 28 countries. anniversary celebrations. In 2021 Mr Men. celebrated its 50th anniversary and, for the first time ever, the public were able to vote on the next characters to be turned into classic Mr. Men Little Miss books. With over 72,000 fans taking part, the winners, Mr. Calm and Little Miss Brave, were announced in a Channel 4 documentary which explored iconic moments of the

extraordinary Hargreaves’ family story, artists, child psychologists and super fans, and revealed the secret world of the artistic process.

Mr. Men Little Miss holds a privileged position in heritage markets benefitting from 98% awareness. The brand wanted to use this influence to help families tackle current reading challenges, as well as nurture readers of the future. Research shows that 78% of children in the UK do not read at home with someone and 1 in 8 of the UK’s most disadvantaged children do not own a book. Moreover, children who read for pleasure do better in life: it is the key to unlocking everything and it nurtures a better sense of wellbeing, greater levels of attainment, develops imaginations and encourages empathy.

The Mr. Men Little Miss have been helping people express themselves for decades, but wanted to take it a step further, creating a range of books that would enable children and

families to explore their feelings using their

favourite characters.

The new Mr. Men Little Miss Discover You book series - developed in partnership with the long-term publisher Farshore with the support of the consultant clinical psychologist Elizabeth Kilbey - is in fact focused on exploring

children’s emotions, well-being

and mental health while remaining as entertaining as ever.

The Mr. Men and Little Miss are the perfect characters to help children understand more

about their own emotions and how to manage

them. The books are the essential tool for parents and children to explore what it means to be happy, sad and everything in between, thanks to engaging questions to encourage conversations between adults and children on different topics and helpful tips from the characters.

The first four titles of the Mr. Men Little Miss Discover You series – Try Again, Be Kind, Worries and All Different - launched in August and will be followed by six more stories in 2023 with many more planned for the series in 2024 and beyond.

The release of the books is accompanied by the creation of a digital hub on mrmen.com, featuring animated videos where digital creator Mat Carter engagingly reads the four books from start to finish, a series of tips by Elizabeth Kilbey which

Above: The first titles in the Mr. Men Little Miss Discover You series launched in August. Left: Over the past ten years a diverse and inclusive publishing programme has been developed offering over 200 titles across ten different book series.

will provide another tool for parents to help them read to their kids, plus numerous downloadable

materials and

activities designed for parents and educators to make the most of the books.

Far from being just about books, Mr. Men Little Miss has an extraordinary ability to communicate human behaviour and feelings in a simple and fun way which has allowed the brand to go beyond the world of publishing and develop into other product categories. From fashion collaborations and apparel retail ranges to promotional and marketing partnerships, there are consumer products and brand activity for all ages and fans.

With over 50 years of success, a growing publishing programme, international expansion and a new TV animation series launching, it is a very exciting time for the Mr Men and Little Misses.