Two new books Mr Men and Little Miss have been released to mark the 50th anniversary of the popular children’s series.
Mr Calm and Little Miss Brave are the latest additions to the collection after members of the public around the world voted who should join the world of colorful characters, created by British author and illustrator Roger Hargreaves in 1971.
While previous characters include Mr Mean, Mr Grumpy and Little Miss Princess, the new characters were designed to cater to wiser sensibilities.
Little Miss Brave is fearless and never shy about speaking up for her friends, while the hipster-sounding Mr. Calm loves yoga and rock climbing, encourages his friends to think before they act, and never loses his cold blood.
As many as 70,000 people voted for the new characters last month, saying the two names resonated with them the most.
Mr Calm, pictured, and Little Miss Brave are the latest additions to the Mr Men and Little Miss collection after the public voted on which characters should join the colorful character world, which was created by the author and British illustrator Roger Hargreaves in 1971.
Mr. Calm, who is blue, smiling, and wears flip flops and glasses, is a calm, wise character who “appreciates the simple things in life.”
Meanwhile, Little Miss Brave, a blue-green character with a purple ponytail, always champions the causes she cares about, especially her friends.
Both characters were selected by the general public from a list of five options.
Other potential characters suggested were Little Miss Energy, Mr Brilliant, and Little Miss Kind.
Roger Hargreaves created the very first Mr Men character, Mr Tickle, in 1971 and it was an instant hit, selling 3 million copies in just one year.
Little Miss Brave, pictured and her new character, Mr Calm, were released today to mark the 50th anniversary of the Mr Men collection
Following the books’ initial success, the BBC even adapted them into a cartoon series in 1974.
Since then, the collection has sold 250 million books worldwide, including 600,000 copies in the UK in 2019.
It is the best-selling collection of children’s books in France and the second largest pre-school brand in the UK.
Hargreaves, who was born in the town of Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, created the first 43 figures in the collection.
At first all characters were male, but from 1981 Hargreaves launched the sister “Little Miss” collection, featuring female characters.
The last character created by Roger before his death was the 43rd character, Mr Cheerful.
West Yorkshire author and illustrator Roger Hargreaves, pictured, created the very first Mr Men character, Mr Tickle in 1971
The Mr Men and Little Miss collection has sold 250 million copies worldwide since it was first published (pictured: some of Mr Men’s most iconic characters, including Mr Tickle)
After his death in 1988, at the age of 53, his son Adam took over and created the rest of the characters.
“The 50th anniversary year has been an incredible journey and I’ve loved involving the public in shaping the future of the brand,” Adam said of the collection he and his father have built.
Pictured: The very first edition of Mr Tickle, with his extra long arms
“It’s a true testament to my father that the characters are so well loved. I’m thrilled to welcome Mr. Calm and Little Miss Brave to the rest of our diverse set of personalities and I’m excited to share their stories with all the world,’ he said.
Alastair McHarrie, director of Sanrio Licensing, owner of Mr Men, said: ‘We were overwhelmed to see over 70,000 votes from consumers around the world earlier this year as we released the names of five potential new characters from among which the public can choose. .
“Calmness and bravery are two very welcome additions to the Mr Men Little Miss family. What a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary and here are the next 50,” he added.
You can buy Mr Calm and Little Miss Brave online and in bookstores from today for £4.49
Adam Hargreaves, pictured, took over the collection after his father Roger died in 1988 after creating the first 43 figures
