Born on
9 May, 1935 in
Cleckheaton,
Yorkshire,
England, his full name was Charles Roger Hargreaves. He is best known for creating the
Mr Men, a series of childrens books about a set of characters, each with a unique trait.
He worked in advertising for twenty years, as a copywriter and a creative director.
In 1960, he got married and had four children. He decided to get a job where he could work from home, so he began to write childrens books in 1971. Over then years, he wrote 39 Mr Men books, which have been translated into 20 languages. In 1981, he began the Little Miss series (political correctness creeping in here?). Global sales of the books exceed 85 million. The characters have appeared in books, TV shows and comic strips in the Daily Mirror.
Hargreaves passed away in 1988 but two of his children, Adam and Amelia, continue his work by illustrating merchandise for the Mr Men, which now covers more than 700 products, including T-shirts and food containers. Adam is also working on 24 new Mr Men stories.