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Mr. Men #13
Mr. Daydream
Join a boy named Jack as he goes on a wild adventure with Mr. Daydream?-without even leaving his desk!
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 1972
9 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Roger Hargreaves
1,339 books368 followersRoger Hargreaves was a British cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books. He created the Mr. Men series, Little Miss series and Timbuctoo series, intended for young readers. The simple and humorous stories, with bold, brightly coloured illustrations, have sales of more than 85 million copies worldwide in 20 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
October 20, 2016
I am Mr Daydream.
When I was in my first year at school I was put on the table with all the children with learning difficulties. The teacher mistook my introvert nature for something else. The table was eventually nicknamed “the daydreamer table” and it was full of all the children who “switched off” and didn’t pay attention and spent the lesson looking out the window whilst thinking about something better. Sort of funny really, I bet all of us grew up to be creative in our own ways. I think a lot of us book types are.
Sometimes I lose myself completely in my thoughts. I’ll sit there and imagine the plot of one of the books I’ve read and completely switch off the outside world. I don’t realise I’m doing it. Then someone will talk to me and drag my conscious back into reality. I hate it when that happens. I then have to think up a new imaginary world. I guess this is what authors do.
Mr Daydream dreams for hours. That’s his life. Does it sound all that bad?
When I was in my first year at school I was put on the table with all the children with learning difficulties. The teacher mistook my introvert nature for something else. The table was eventually nicknamed “the daydreamer table” and it was full of all the children who “switched off” and didn’t pay attention and spent the lesson looking out the window whilst thinking about something better. Sort of funny really, I bet all of us grew up to be creative in our own ways. I think a lot of us book types are.
Sometimes I lose myself completely in my thoughts. I’ll sit there and imagine the plot of one of the books I’ve read and completely switch off the outside world. I don’t realise I’m doing it. Then someone will talk to me and drag my conscious back into reality. I hate it when that happens. I then have to think up a new imaginary world. I guess this is what authors do.
Mr Daydream dreams for hours. That’s his life. Does it sound all that bad?
August 23, 2024
Opps, I read this already. Oh well. I read it again.It reminds me of my nephew.
1st review
I like these original Mr. Men's so much better. This was good. This was Mr. Daydream with a boy in school who go on an adventure all over the world. I was a daydreamer as a kid, so I can really relate to Mr. Daydream.
This was romping good fun. It was also the first one that was hardcover which was nice. My nephew's eyes shine when he is read a Mr. Men book. He still loves them.
1st review
I like these original Mr. Men's so much better. This was good. This was Mr. Daydream with a boy in school who go on an adventure all over the world. I was a daydreamer as a kid, so I can really relate to Mr. Daydream.
This was romping good fun. It was also the first one that was hardcover which was nice. My nephew's eyes shine when he is read a Mr. Men book. He still loves them.
September 1, 2023
Spent a lot of time with this guy! Sure to bring a smile to you face on one of those days where everything seems to be piling up on you and you need a little breathing room. MM/LM books are just fun to read; you are sure to know someone who fits the personality in the book!
April 12, 2017
My 6 year old niece says this book is 5 stars because Mr. Daydream daydreams like she does.
September 7, 2021
Mr. Daydream is one of the best created character in the series, his look really suits him.
The story itself is just fine as a young boy called Jack has forever got his head in the clouds.
All day through school he dreams of various madcap adventures.
I'm not sure if being in your own little world whilst you should be learing is a good example to set young readers, but atleast Jack was a polite young lad.
The imagination of Hargreaves is a timeless delight.
The story itself is just fine as a young boy called Jack has forever got his head in the clouds.
All day through school he dreams of various madcap adventures.
I'm not sure if being in your own little world whilst you should be learing is a good example to set young readers, but atleast Jack was a polite young lad.
The imagination of Hargreaves is a timeless delight.
July 4, 2021
Spoilers below, if you care about spoilers for a fifty-year-old children’s book…
Ah, Mr. Daydream… I remember my reaction to the end of this book when I first read it as a child. I was outraged! “So, this whole book was just a dream and Mr. Daydream doesn’t even exist?” I raged! “What a crock of [expletive deleted]!”
I was an angry child who could not tolerate any wishy washy, airy fairy, immaterial nonsense. Mr. Daydream was not the only target of my ire; Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny and religion all got the same treatment.
Now, as an adult with a more flexible mind, I realise that just because Mr. Daydream only exists in dreams doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. He is clearly one of the many aspects of Morpheus or Dream of the Endless. Thinking about it, Neil Gaiman is lucky Roger Hargreaves is dead, as he could probably have sued the pants off him and got his deserved share of all that Sandman wonga…
My next book: Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion
Ah, Mr. Daydream… I remember my reaction to the end of this book when I first read it as a child. I was outraged! “So, this whole book was just a dream and Mr. Daydream doesn’t even exist?” I raged! “What a crock of [expletive deleted]!”
I was an angry child who could not tolerate any wishy washy, airy fairy, immaterial nonsense. Mr. Daydream was not the only target of my ire; Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny and religion all got the same treatment.
Now, as an adult with a more flexible mind, I realise that just because Mr. Daydream only exists in dreams doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. He is clearly one of the many aspects of Morpheus or Dream of the Endless. Thinking about it, Neil Gaiman is lucky Roger Hargreaves is dead, as he could probably have sued the pants off him and got his deserved share of all that Sandman wonga…
My next book: Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion
February 14, 2024
This book will resonate with all daydreamers. I remember reading it as a child and relating to it on every level. Now, still a daydreamer, I relate to it every bit as much. Jack (a human child) is bored in his history lesson. Gazing through an open window, he sees Mr Daydream (a blue-fluffy-cloud being). Mr Daydream and Jack embark on adventures that take them to every continent, all in the space of one history lesson. This highlights one important truth about daydreaming: it can bend the "laws" of physics, shaping the Universe to the mind of the dreamer. Therein lies the power of dreams.
Like all the Mr Men books, Mr Daydream is beautifully illustrated. One picture, however, continues to trouble me: in the third picture of Jack, he has no mouth. Hargreaves was too much of a perfectionist for this to have been an oversight, so the mouthless Jack must be meant to symbolise something. One of these days I'll figure out what.
Like all the Mr Men books, Mr Daydream is beautifully illustrated. One picture, however, continues to trouble me: in the third picture of Jack, he has no mouth. Hargreaves was too much of a perfectionist for this to have been an oversight, so the mouthless Jack must be meant to symbolise something. One of these days I'll figure out what.
June 16, 2008
Jack, a daydreamer, gets taken off for adventures by Mr. Daydream during the course of, surprisingly, one of Jack's daydreams.
November 23, 2020
Jack was a good, well mannered little boy but he had one failing, he was a daydreamer! Whenever he was supposed to be thinking about something, he found himself thinking about something else (sounds familiar!) ... he was daydreaming.
At school one fine, warm day he was sitting at the back of the classroom next to an open window. Suddenly he spotted something blue outside the window on the grass. It was a small cloud-shaped figure. He couldn't believe his eyes, especially when the figure smiled and waved at him.
The teacher was still talking so Jack quietly got up and quietly nipped out of the window. Mr Daydream introduced himself, told Jack he was going on an adventure and asked Jack if he wanted to join him. Jack said that he did and, with a loud whistle from Mr Daydream, off they went.
The pair jumped on the back of a huge bird who had arrived in response to the whistle and who took them to Africa where it was very hot. They spotted an elephant, who offered them a lift and picked them up with his trunk and placed them on his back.
The elephant carried them through the jungle until they reached a river where the elephant said goodbye and went off back into the jungle. Mr Daydream and Jack were puzzling how to get across the river when a crocodile offered them a lift on his back. They climbed on but halfway across the crocodile showed his intentions, flicked them into the air with his tail and opened his jaws to catch and eat them.
It was then that Mr Daydream let out his loud whistle once more and, fortuitously, the big bird reappeared, caught them and saved them from certain destruction. Not only that but the bird flew them to Australia, where Jack learned to throw a boomerang and was amazed when it came back to him.
From Australia they went to the North Pole where Mr Daydream fell in a snow drift before they carried on their journey an arrived in the Wild West. There Mr Daydream donned a huge, ten-gallon cowboy hat and suddenly he couldn't see Jack. 'Jack, Jack,' he called.
Hearing his name called, Jack was startled and suddenly found himself at his desk, facing his angry teacher who was calling his name. And you know why that was, don't you ... Jack had been daydreaming once again!
However, Jack decided that daydreaming was more fun than history!
At school one fine, warm day he was sitting at the back of the classroom next to an open window. Suddenly he spotted something blue outside the window on the grass. It was a small cloud-shaped figure. He couldn't believe his eyes, especially when the figure smiled and waved at him.
The teacher was still talking so Jack quietly got up and quietly nipped out of the window. Mr Daydream introduced himself, told Jack he was going on an adventure and asked Jack if he wanted to join him. Jack said that he did and, with a loud whistle from Mr Daydream, off they went.
The pair jumped on the back of a huge bird who had arrived in response to the whistle and who took them to Africa where it was very hot. They spotted an elephant, who offered them a lift and picked them up with his trunk and placed them on his back.
The elephant carried them through the jungle until they reached a river where the elephant said goodbye and went off back into the jungle. Mr Daydream and Jack were puzzling how to get across the river when a crocodile offered them a lift on his back. They climbed on but halfway across the crocodile showed his intentions, flicked them into the air with his tail and opened his jaws to catch and eat them.
It was then that Mr Daydream let out his loud whistle once more and, fortuitously, the big bird reappeared, caught them and saved them from certain destruction. Not only that but the bird flew them to Australia, where Jack learned to throw a boomerang and was amazed when it came back to him.
From Australia they went to the North Pole where Mr Daydream fell in a snow drift before they carried on their journey an arrived in the Wild West. There Mr Daydream donned a huge, ten-gallon cowboy hat and suddenly he couldn't see Jack. 'Jack, Jack,' he called.
Hearing his name called, Jack was startled and suddenly found himself at his desk, facing his angry teacher who was calling his name. And you know why that was, don't you ... Jack had been daydreaming once again!
However, Jack decided that daydreaming was more fun than history!
February 2, 2008
Andy got this book for the little man and although it's a little too old for him, he enjoys looking at all the pictures and especially the little men on the back cover. He moves from "Mr. Nosey" to "Mr. Bump" and we bump him and he laughs, and and then he always gets to "Mr. Tickle" and likes to be tickled.
Andy remembers them from when he was a kid and wants to buy the lot of them for the little man.
Andy remembers them from when he was a kid and wants to buy the lot of them for the little man.
February 20, 2015
I like the book. He was Mr. Daydream and he Jack thought Mr. Daydream was his teacher but he wasn't. His teacher wasn't Mr. Daydream. And he went in the rainforest and he rode on an elephant and a bird. A big fat bird. And he also thought he was in a jungle rainforest with an elephant and a bird but he wasn't, he was in school. And he had a daydream. - age 4
June 27, 2013
Beautiful and lovely adventure I lived through this book with Jack and Mr. Daydream, so lovely indeed, really nice book ^_^
March 27, 2015
Think I’m right in stating that as a boy I had all the pre-1990 Mr Men books with the possible exception of “Mr Snow”. Looking at all the covers apart from the latter jogged my memory.
Sadly I remember little about the stories now, despite reading them numerous times during my boyhood, plus watching the Mr Men cartoons more than once.
Reckon the last time I would’ve read these was 1983, though may have returned to them as late as 1985. Although I’ve forgotten almost everything about this title and all the others I feel that owing to the amount of times I read each publication that they all deserve to be rated five stars.
I’m grateful to Roger Hargreaves for brightening up my childhood with both his Mr Men and the Timbuctoo series of books.
Sadly I remember little about the stories now, despite reading them numerous times during my boyhood, plus watching the Mr Men cartoons more than once.
Reckon the last time I would’ve read these was 1983, though may have returned to them as late as 1985. Although I’ve forgotten almost everything about this title and all the others I feel that owing to the amount of times I read each publication that they all deserve to be rated five stars.
I’m grateful to Roger Hargreaves for brightening up my childhood with both his Mr Men and the Timbuctoo series of books.
December 17, 2009
Another searing indictment of our modern society from Mr Hargreaves. The guy is an amazing writer, he engages children on one level, yet manages to write wonderfully apt critiques of our modern world.
Jack is a daydreamer, and spends his time in his own little world. There may be some sort of learning difficulty involved, but Mr Hargreaves doesn't tackle that issue head on in this book.
Whilst in class Jack spies a strange character in the playground, so of course, rather than carry on with lessons he slips out teh window to meet this stranger. (Not sure this is such a good idea to put in kids minds, but as long as predatory paedophiles don't start dressing up as blue clouds it may just be ok)
Jack is then whisked away from his school on a journey to lots of exciting places. Which child doesn't think that school is a waste of time and would rather be out and about having fun?
It all turns out to be a daydream though, as Jack's teacher finally realises he's not paying attention and brings him back to the grim reality of the classroom.
A simple story that amused my children, yet also cuts to the heart of the debate around teaching standards, the quality of eductaion today and the attitudes of young people.
The last line about History is also very telling. Today's society is all about the here and now, no-one cares about learning lessons from the past....
Jack is a daydreamer, and spends his time in his own little world. There may be some sort of learning difficulty involved, but Mr Hargreaves doesn't tackle that issue head on in this book.
Whilst in class Jack spies a strange character in the playground, so of course, rather than carry on with lessons he slips out teh window to meet this stranger. (Not sure this is such a good idea to put in kids minds, but as long as predatory paedophiles don't start dressing up as blue clouds it may just be ok)
Jack is then whisked away from his school on a journey to lots of exciting places. Which child doesn't think that school is a waste of time and would rather be out and about having fun?
It all turns out to be a daydream though, as Jack's teacher finally realises he's not paying attention and brings him back to the grim reality of the classroom.
A simple story that amused my children, yet also cuts to the heart of the debate around teaching standards, the quality of eductaion today and the attitudes of young people.
The last line about History is also very telling. Today's society is all about the here and now, no-one cares about learning lessons from the past....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2013
I absolutely loved these Mr Men and Little Miss books. I remember getting them from my granny every week. There was so much from these simple characters, I remember filling my little bookshelf with all these books making sure I had got them all in right order. I wish I still had these books but somehow most of them got lost with many house moves or my mum gave the rest away. If I ever have kids, I will make sure they get the chance to experience these wonderful, colourful books.
December 16, 2017
This book is AMAZINGLY EXITING
April 20, 2020
So good they will never loose their appeal.
August 8, 2017
This is the first Mr Men book I have read that does not feature an illustration of a house... Where is the drawing of Mr Daydream's crib?! I assume it is so fantastic it would put all the others to shame, so Mr Hargreaves wisely decided not to include it.
January 2, 2017
I loved this book as a child and now I'm enjoying it again with my son.
February 23, 2024
an emotional read. Super metaphorical. Loved the part where Jack said to the teacher “well daydreaming is better than history!” What a mystifying final sentence that was. A journey was taken tonight. Lives were changed. A girl became a woman.
September 28, 2015
Ah, Mr Men and Little Miss, how wonderful you are!
These books made up so much of my childhood. No matter what I would go ahead and pick one up. I worked my way through them all a couple of times. Each one has a wonderful story for the child to engage with, each character being fun to read.
Everyone has a bias for their favourite character, yet every book is delightful.
These books made up so much of my childhood. No matter what I would go ahead and pick one up. I worked my way through them all a couple of times. Each one has a wonderful story for the child to engage with, each character being fun to read.
Everyone has a bias for their favourite character, yet every book is delightful.
January 9, 2014
This really didn't have a very good message at the end lol - "Daydreaming is more fun than History" - being really into history i totally disagree!
June 2, 2015
I think I borrowed this from a friend at school. I remember wishing he would appear when I was bored at school. I spent years staring out the window rather than doing my work, but no luck.
December 22, 2016
I did not like this book because I do not like crocodiles. I also did not like this book because this book had a crocodile in it.
November 27, 2019
It was a fun read.
June 28, 2022
Daydreaming is more fun then history!
July 29, 2018
Daydreaming is more fun than history.
Daydreaming is more fun than a lot of other things.
I think I will try this newfound idea for we have not daydream enough.
Let’s see... my big yellow bird will take me to a music festival and I will be having a grand time listening to my favourite bands playing. Then I will be speaking fluent French in Paris. Sweet!
Daydreaming is more fun than a lot of other things.
I think I will try this newfound idea for we have not daydream enough.
Let’s see... my big yellow bird will take me to a music festival and I will be having a grand time listening to my favourite bands playing. Then I will be speaking fluent French in Paris. Sweet!
January 26, 2019
Classic books for all generations.
The Mr. Men books are timeless. I've read them as a child, I've read them to my nieces, I've read them purely for my own enjoyment as an adult, they just never age. This is probably the one I identify with the most having been told as a child I had a vivid imagination!!! Lovely book - i had Arthur Lowe's voice in my head the whole way through!
The Mr. Men books are timeless. I've read them as a child, I've read them to my nieces, I've read them purely for my own enjoyment as an adult, they just never age. This is probably the one I identify with the most having been told as a child I had a vivid imagination!!! Lovely book - i had Arthur Lowe's voice in my head the whole way through!
April 29, 2019
Over and over and over again.... I read these stories to my first daughter and then to my second daughter.
They loved them... they laughed... i love my daughters... i laughed with them....that was more than enough for me.
They loved them... they laughed... i love my daughters... i laughed with them....that was more than enough for me.
December 28, 2018
This really is a very different Mr Men book as it leaps out from the Mr Men Universe into ours, and it is not really a comfortable fit. Still entertaining but the two worlds don't really gel together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews