Born on May 9, 1935 and died on September 11, 1988, Englishman Richard Hargreaves was an author and illustrator. His best-known works were of the children's book series, Mr. Men and Little Miss. He was also the author of the Timbuctoo series.

The Mr. Men and Little Miss series contained simple storeys and colourful pictures. In total, there were 46 Mr. Men and 33 Little Miss books. The first of the series, Mr. Tickle, was published in 1971.