Two new Mr Men characters are introduced - designed to represent real life

The series was conceived by illustrator Roger Hargreaves, who died in 1988, and has been continued by his son Adam

Meet the new characters (HarperCollins/PA Wire)

Two new Mr Men Little Miss children’s book characters have been introduced.

Two new stories will be published on September 12, more than 50 years after Mr Tickle, the first Mr Men book, was released in 1971.

Mr Fib and Little Miss Surprise are the latest characters to join the book series, it has been announced.

The series was conceived by cartoonist and illustrator Roger Hargreaves, who died in 1988, and has been continued by his son Adam, who has added new characters to the collection.

Mr Fib fibs to impress people, but his fibs are getting bigger and bigger, and one day he goes too far and his friends are upset, according to publisher Farshore and toy company Sanrio.

Mr Fib is here (HarperCollins/PA Wire)

Little Miss Surprise loves nothing better than surprises, and never knows what each day may bring.

Author Hargreaves said: “It’s always fun creating new characters to add to the series, although I’ve got a way to go to catch up with my dad.

“A Mr Fib has been rattling around in my imagination for a long while and Little Miss Surprise, of course, popped into my head right out of the blue!”

Emily Campan, of publisher Farshore, said: “We are so delighted to be welcoming two new additions to the Mr Men Little Miss line-up in 2024.

“We really wanted our two new characters to reflect the world and personality traits children might encounter in real life, and I think our two new friends meet that brief completely.

“I can’t wait for the rest of the world to meet them!”

Little Miss Suprise is a new character (HarperCollins/PA Wire)

The collection already includes the classic characters such as Little Miss Sunshine, Mr Bump and Mr Lazy and more recent additions such as Mr Rude.

Silvia Figini, chief operating officer of Mr Men Worldwide at Sanrio, said: “We are thrilled to introduce two new characters to the Mr Men Little Miss family, marking the first additions since our 50th anniversary.

“By highlighting distinct personality traits, these characters help both adults and children connect with them and reflect on their own emotions. We are confident that you will instantly adore them.”