Children tickled pink as the Mr Men celebrate 40 years

The son of the Mr Men creator today told how the characters' enduring popularity has encouraged generations of children to read books.

It is 40 years since Roger Hargreaves created his first character, Mr Tickle, to explain to his son Adam what a tickle was. Today his son said his father, who died aged 53 in 1988, would have been "so chuffed" with the success of the series which has sold 120 million books since the first was published in 1971.

Mr Hargreaves, 47, who lives in Heathfield, East Sussex, with his wife Annie, said the enduring success of the books is down to their simplicity. Mr Hargreaves, who still works as an artistic consultant for the Mr Men estate, said: "It's that idea of taking a human character or emotion and then personifying it. My father would have been so chuffed to see Mr Men still here and still successful. He would have been incredibly proud."

Roger Hargreaves is the third biggest selling British author of the last decade and his books have been translated into 14 languages.