New Doctor Who Mr. Men mashups will exterminate you with cuteness: Book-Thirsty Thursday

The series of super cute children’s books that combine Doctor Who with Roger Hargreaves’ classic cartoons gets four new stories.

 Let’s be honest: 2018 is already kind of a rough year. And we’re all hanging on to any shred of goodness that we can find. That’s why the idea of Doctor Who stories for children told in the style of Roger Hargreaves’ classic Mr. Men and Little Miss books is so appealing. It’s something you probably never knew you needed until right this moment. But, guess what, you really do.

The messages of each story are hopeful and heartwarming, and though the Doctors each face challenges, nothing too scary happens. Primarily aimed at kids, these books provide a perfect entry point for the littlest Whovians to experience the world of Doctor Who for themselves. (And their tongue-in-cheek references to various parts of the Who universe will delight older fans.)

Nine Doctor Who mash-up stories already exist. The latest four books in the Hargreaves-style Who series dropped this week, and include stories for the Third, Fifth, Six and Tenth Doctors. As a whole, they’re as charming as you might expect. The whimsical tone perfectly complements the general sentiment of the show, and Hargreaves’ son Adam draws positively adorable versions of the Doctors and all their various hangers on.

With these four stories, the Hargreaves-style Doctor Who series is officially complete. Well, not technically, as I can’t imagine they won’t make more of these in the future. (Plus, we’ll need one for Thirteen eventually, after all.) However, each of the series’ first 12 Doctors now has his own Mr. Men story.

What does that mean for the future of these tiny tales of cuteness? No idea. But since there’s already been a special holiday story released (Dr. Tenth Christmas Surprise), we know there are other avenues still to explore. Whether those will feature the Doctors themselves for another round of tales, their companions, or even their enemies, the possibilities are pretty endless. (Can you imagine a Hargreaves-style Dalek story?)

Let’s do a quick run down of each new book in this latest group.

Dr. Third

Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor featured one of Doctor Who’s most distinctive looks, and the Hargreaves version of this character certainly does not disappoint. From his wild hair to that distinctive jacket, this story features a rather grumpily adorable take on Three. Since his Doctor is rather famous for being Earth-bound, it’s no surprise that the Third Doctor’s adventure entirely involves his attempt to get home from doing the shopping. (Yes, Bessie, the high tech Edwardian roadster, makes her debut here as well. Keep an eye out for her custom license plate!)

Along the way, the Doctor finds himself waylaid by several of his companions — the story features appearances by Jo Grant, Captain Mike Yates and Liz Shaw — and forced to face off against classic enemy the Ice Warriors. The twist at the end involving Three’s important experiment is adorable, and even though this isn’t exactly the revamped “Terror of the Autons” I was hoping for, it’s charming all the same. (One day, I will get a Hargreaves-style Roger Delgado! One day!)

Dr. Fifth

The Hargreaves take on Doctor Who’s Fifth Doctor is unassuming and sweet, sort of like his on-screen incarnation. He definitely takes something of a back seat in his own story, though his smarts ultimately save the day in the end.

The story is kind of crowded with secondary characters, as was typical during Five’s tenure. Dr. Fifth features appearances by former companions Nyssa, Tegan and Adric, a funny illustration-based joke about the Cybermen and an old foe in a not so clever disguise. We also see the infamous Zero Room, and Hargreaves even remembers to include a nod to the constant bickering that went on between Adric and Tegan. There’s almost a little too much going on in places — the illustrations can get kind of crowded at times — but it’s a very on the nose depiction of a Fifth Doctor tale.

And, of course, any time the Master shows up, I’m happy. Maybe he can get his own Mr. Men-style tale (or tales) one of these days? I’d definitely read it.

Dr. Sixth

Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor is one that often divides many Doctor Who fans, thanks to his prickly, abrasive, oftentimes-rude demeanor. The Hargreaves version of Six is, thankfully, a bit softer than his real world counterpart. (Kids book, remember?) However, it still manages to turn his slightly darker character into a plot point, in a fairly deft way. Additionally, the story decides to make something of a joke out of his long-winded manner of speaking, which is both fun and a trait that sets this particular Doctor apart from pretty much all the other versions in this cartoon-ish universe.

For you completionists out there: Former companion Peri does make an appearance here. Unfortunately she gets very little to do, and isn’t around much. On the plus side, the story features an appearance by a Doctor Who villain I honestly never expected to see in these little books: The Rani! Now, since this is a short story aimed at children, her characterization and backstory doesn’t go much further than “evil Time Lady.” But, who cares, I’m just here to stare at a tiny Hargreaves version of the Rani and her very fabulous looking TARDIS in any way I can.

Dr. Tenth

The ever popular Tenth Doctor gets his second Hargreaves-style adventure with Dr. Tenth. And, to the surprise of probably everyone, it actually doesn’t feature a former companion in it. Perhaps this story offers us a blueprint for how these Doctor Who mashup books might continue on, now that they’ve sort of completed the cycle, as it were. Dr. Tenth shows that these little stories can be totally new pieces of Doctor Who canon, and don’t necessarily require familiar companions or episode-based storylines to work.

A familiar face does return here, however. But it’s the Sonataran General Staal, whom you may remember from his appearance in season 4’s “The Sontaran Strategem.” It’s a bit surprising, to be sure, but the ultimate moral of this little tale is one that pretty much everybody probably needs to hear right now. So, just go with it. You’ll like it.

The only real negative here is that this story doesn’t feature at least a cameo by Martha Jones. Martha’s the only Tenth Doctor companion who hasn’t popped up in these Hargreaves adaptations as yet, and I’m dying to see what her cartoon alter ego looks like. (Rose Tyler appeared in Dr. Ninth and Donna Noble popped up in Ten’s previous story Dr. Tenth Christmas Surprise.) What gives with no Martha, y’all?

Next: Review: Child of a Mad God, R.A. Salvatore

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