Originated by Roger Hargreaves

Written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves

Penguin, out April 25

Illustrator and writer Adam Hargreaves continues the legacy of his father’s Mr. Men books by adapting four tales of the good Doctor’s incarnations into the same style and format of the popular children’s books.

I imagine that how you approach these books depends on how you felt about Doctor Who entering the LEGO universe or the upcoming Playmobil world. It’s either a great idea, recognising that the show’s pop culture status is such that it deserves its own place in another popular franchise… or it’s heresy – a bastardisation of the brand too far. Or maybe somewhere in between.

For 40-somethings like me there’s a real nostalgia value in seeing the Doctor converted into a Mr. Men style character; the books and the Arthur Lowe-narrated animated TV series were a mainstay of my childhood. Quite appropriately, Adam has written the books in the same style as his father’s (text on left page, full-page illustration on the right), complete with moral lesson or sign-off.

While there may have been a temptation to go a bit post-modern with this classic brand (witness the new jokey incarnations of Ladybird and Famous Five books designed for adults) these books are written completely straight and are suitable to be read by children or to them at bedtime. I found the recent Time Lord Fairy Tales and The Shakespeare Notebooks a stretch too far in forcing the brand down a certain route – not so here, because the product is authentic in every way, right down to size and page count.

Much of the fun as an adult is in watching the way that the Doctor’s defining accoutrements (Fourth’s scarf and hat, Eleventh’s bow tie and fez) are incorporated into the design in the absence of the single dominant personality (Greedy, Strong, Silly) that drove the originals. With the addition of iconic hair, footwear and accessories, each Doctor is easily recognisable. There’s also the addition of companions and monsters, but I’d rather not say which ones, as the discovery is all part of the fun.

I have no doubt that furious debates are raging on the forums about whether they are canon – indeed, as they don’t feature other Mr. Men then maybe they don’t even exist in Misterland! Walter the Worm makes and appearance, but maybe he reached this universe through… ahem!… a wormhole? And as for the use of Dr. instead of Doctor… Or maybe we should all sit back, take a deep breath and recognise that this is a great way for children to be introduced to the world of Doctor Who, or for adults to tap into a fond memory of their youth.

Oh, and I really hope we get to see an Ice Warrior in future editions (Dr. Second maybe). I feel they may have missed a trick in not referring to Missy as Little Miss Missy. Perhaps next time we’ll also get Mr. Master?

Verdict: Mr Joy was having a great day. Do you know why he was so happy? He’d found a lovely set of fun books, sure to keep young Time Lords happy. 8/10

Nick Joy