The latest Doctor Who and Mr Men mash-ups will warm your heart: Book-Thirsty Thursday

The latest set of children’s books that combine Doctor Who and Roger Hargreaves’ classic Mr. Men series are whimsical fun for all ages.

Doctor Who stories told in the style of Roger Hargreaves’ classic Mr. Men and Little Miss children’s books are maybe something you never knew existed. But guess what? They do. And they look amazing.

The first set of them—which included the First, Fourth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors—hit shelves earlier this year, to the sound of general fan squealing. Because they are pretty perfect.  (Don’t believe me? Watch this animated clip in which Michelle Gomez narrates the Twelfth Doctor story. You’re welcome.)

The latest four books in this Hargreaves-style Who series include stories for the Second, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Doctors. And they’re as fun and sweet as you might expect. The whimsical Hargreaves style, now done by Roger’s son Adam, meshes perfectly with the existing tone of the show. One of the greatest things about Doctor Who is that it never takes itself too seriously, and that certainly holds true here. The stories aren’t afraid to be silly, even ridiculous at times, but their messages remain generally hopeful and heartwarming. (Much like the show itself.)

A couple of these books adapt existing Doctor Who stories for a younger audience, filling in scary monsters with sillier alternatives. And two feature new adventures, but with familiar themes, villains and even jokes peppered in. Since these—technically—are kids books, the stories are very straightforward, with simple messages and easy humor.

Let’s run down each book in the series.

Doctor Ninth

Nine is my Doctor, so out of every story in the set, I was most interested to see the Hargreaves version of him for myself. And it does not disappoint, with the adorable cartoon version featuring Christopher Eccleston’s signature widow’s peak and frequent grumpy expression.

Doctor Ninth is a sweeter, less frightening version of the season 11 pilot “Rose,” telling the story of Nine’s meeting with his first companion. Just as in the episode, Nine and Rose face off with the Autons, mannequins that creepily come to life. The duo battle the monsters with everything from children’s toys to kitchen appliances, and there’s even a special guest appearance by Captain Jack Harkness.

Doctor Eighth

Eight is a rather underrated Doctor, only appearing in Doctor Who twice onscreen, once in the 1996 TV movie, and again during a mini-episode filmed for the series’ 50th anniversary celebration. Perhaps this is a Doctor that thrives in secondary mediums—Eight’s Big Finish audio adventures are some of the best out there, and it appears that his children’s book counterpart finds himself on a similar track.

Despite Nine being my personal favorite, Doctor Eighth is probably the best story in this quartet. In it, the Doctor saves a spaceship in distress and settles a dispute between some angry Silurians and their little known cousins, the Sea Devils. It even has a rather useful lesson about sharing built in. (And spoiler alert: Cartoon Silurians are surprisingly cute. Who knew?)

Doctor Seventh

The Doctor Seventh book is a bit like a children’s take on Sylvester McCoy’s final Doctor Who adventure, “Survival.” Sort of. Here, after their friends are kidnapped by villainous Cheetah people, it’s up to the Seventh Doctor and his companion Ace to rescue them.

Ace is far and away the most entertaining part of Doctor Seventh, responding to virtually every situation with dynamite and a desire to blow things up. (Trust me, kids will love her.) The Cheetah People are definitely much cuter than their TV counterparts, and the brief appearance of the Anthony Ainley version of the Master is a lovely touch. (Even if he doesn’t actually turn into a cheetah himself.)

Doctor Second

Just because a large portion of Patrick Troughton’s time as the Doctor is lost to history doesn’t mean Two can’t have his own proper cartoon-style adventure. Here, we find the Second Doctor on a trip to a museum with two of his companions, Jamie McCrimmon, and Victoria Waterfield. The trio run into their classic foes the Robot Yeti. And there are lots of jokes about the general unreliability of the TARDIS.

Doctor Second is generally charming—largely because Two’s “giddy aunt” catchphrase gets quite a workout. But as an adventure, it’s probably the least interesting of this quartet for an adult reader. Though I imagine kids will quite enjoy the whole thing where the Doctor controls Yetis with a TV remote.

While they aren’t perfect—and to be honest, they’re way too short!—these tiny Doctor Who adventures will make any Whovian in your life smile. Though aimed at children—start teaching them about the Whoniverse early, I say—there’s plenty for parents and older fans to enjoy. The references to existing episodes and characters are sly enough to be enjoyable for those of us who already know all this stuff. But they’re still an easy introduction for the littlest of fans, who aren’t necessarily old enough to watch the real show for themselves. Plus, the artwork is fantastic—bright, joyous figures that are oh, so cute.

Next: Doctor Who: Missy will get her own tie-in novel next year

The latest round of Doctor Who/Mr. Men stories can be found in bookstores this week.