Ten years after the original Mr. Men books first hit the shelves, the world saw the highly-anticipated debut of the Little Miss series – Roger Hargreaves’ female counterpart to his hugely popular Mr. Men series. Find out more about the loveable Little Miss characters with this list of fun facts.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Little Miss Sunshine was first introduced in 1981 – the same year that the first London Marathon took place – and is one of Mr. Happy’s best friends. She is also one of the characters who features on the UK coins struck in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss.
LITTLE MISS BOSSY
While Little Miss Sunshine is arguably the most popular Little Miss character, she wasn’t the first. That honour goes to Little Miss Bossy – who seemingly bossed her way to the front of the queue! Also released in 1981, Little Miss Bossy is known for her demanding ways, as well as her trademark flowery hat – a questionable fashion statement… but it was the ‘80s, after all!
LITTLE MISS TWINS
First introduced in 1984, the two characters Little Miss Twin and Little Miss Twin were inspired by Roger Hargreaves’ daughters, Amelia and Sophie. The real-life twins also get credit for encouraging their father to create the Little Miss books in the Mr. Men Little Miss series.
LITTLE MISS GIGGLES
Also introduced in 1984, Little Miss Giggles is known as ‘Madame Risette’ in France. Her giggling is so infectious that just about everyone who meets her starts giggling too! She is one of the characters who features on the UK coins struck to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss.
LITTLE MISS BRAINY
Cleverer than Mr. Clever and knowledgeable in all things simple and complex, Little Miss Brainy was introduced in 1990 – the same year internet inventor Tim Berners-Lee published a formal proposal for the World Wide Web.
LITTLE MISS SCARY
First published in 2003, Little Miss Scary was the first Little Miss character to be introduced by Adam Hargreaves after he took over from his father. Other characters introduced that year include Mr. Cool, Mr. Rude, Mr. Good, Little Miss Bad and Little Miss Whoops.
LITTLE MISS WHOOPS
Speaking of Little Miss Whoops, did you know that this accident-prone addition to the Little Miss collection is related to another klutzy character? She is the sister of Mr. Bump and the two siblings are strikingly similar in appearance; both are blue, blundering and covered in bandages from their frequent mishaps. Clumsiness definitely runs in the family!
LITTLE MISS BIRTHDAY
Little Miss Birthday made her debut in 2006 – the same year the Mr. Men Little Miss series celebrated its 35th birthday. She is the brother of Mr. Birthday and knows just the right gift to buy for anyone celebrating their big day. She would be right at home in our Mr. Men Little Miss gift section!
LITTLE MISS INVENTOR
Little Miss Inventor was first introduced in 2018, the same year that a UK-based company created a jacket that glows in the dark. It sounds amazing, but is it as useful as Little Miss Inventor’s billion-bristle toothbrush?
LITTLE MISS VALENTINE
Proving that there really is a Mr. Men Little Miss for every occasion, Little Miss Valentine joined the shapely collective in 2019 as Little Miss Hug’s cousin. She is one of the few characters to represent a specific holiday; however, unlike her counterparts, she is the only holiday-themed Little Miss who doesn’t have a Mr. Men counterpart. Girl power!
