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Roger Hargreaves and the Mr. Men Books
Mr._TickleIn 1970, Roger Hargreaves’ 6-year-old son Adam asked his father a question. It was a question that only a child could ask. No adult would ever conceive of it. Adam said, ‘Daddy, what does a tickle look like?’
In response Hargreaves, a cartoonist, drew a picture of a round orange blob with a face and long rubbery arms. It became the central character in Hargreaves’ first book, Mr Tickle. He had difficulty finding a publisher willing to take on the work but eventually the book was published and went on to be the start of the Mr Men series of books which have sold over 90 million copies. They are favourites of children all over the world.
Hargreaves was the Creative Director at a London agency but in 1976 he left his job to concentrate on his writing. He and his wife had four children but tragically he died at the age of a 53 following a stroke.
His great creations came because he listened to what on first hearing sounds like a very silly question. One which Mr. Silly might have asked. But silly questions challenge conventional ideas and prompt lateral thinking.
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This post was previously published on www.destination-innovation.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Paul Sloane