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Mr. Men #20
Mr. Chatterbox
Mr Chatterbox was one of those people who simply couldn't stop talking. He used to talk to anybody and everybody about anything and everything, going on and on and on. And on and on and on.
They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ever met in this best-selling series which has sold millions worldwide. Bright and charming, with easily recognizable characters and a small take-along format, 'Mr. Men' and 'Little Miss' books are easy enough for young readers, witty enough for humor-prone adults, and highly collectible for one and all.
They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ever met in this best-selling series which has sold millions worldwide. Bright and charming, with easily recognizable characters and a small take-along format, 'Mr. Men' and 'Little Miss' books are easy enough for young readers, witty enough for humor-prone adults, and highly collectible for one and all.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
4 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Roger Hargreaves
1,324 books366 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 49 reviews
September 1, 2023
So this book is really great; and you should read it because it is great; I could talk about the greatness of this book all day; did I mention this book is great and on a 'greatness scale' it would be a 10; or maybe a 9; but that would not detract from the overall greatness of this book; did I mention what a great time I had reading this book; a great time as a matter of fact; a great time reading a great book; can you imagine that; just fit in with my overall great day; great to read a great book on a great day - (a really fun book).
July 6, 2018
So, the magic element in this one was a magic hat and it wasn't from a wizard. Mr. Chatterbox talks so much. He is exhausting. I'm glad he learned his lesson in this one. All that chatting can be rough on me sometimes.
My nephew thought this was funny. He loves these books still and he appreciated it. He said 5 stars.
These books are so fun.
My nephew thought this was funny. He loves these books still and he appreciated it. He said 5 stars.
These books are so fun.
August 9, 2021
Mr. Chatterbox never stops talking. He just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and... well, you get the idea. A local hatter eventually decides he's had enough of listening to Chatterbox drone on and on and buys him a magic hat that solves the problem in a rather interesting fashion.
This is a very funny entry in the Mr. Men series that had my wife and I laughing out loud as we read it. I particularly liked the way they've curved the title of the book around the side of the cover. It's a nice touch.
I can think of a few people I'd like to give a magic hat to...
My next book: The Yellow Cat Mystery
This is a very funny entry in the Mr. Men series that had my wife and I laughing out loud as we read it. I particularly liked the way they've curved the title of the book around the side of the cover. It's a nice touch.
I can think of a few people I'd like to give a magic hat to...
My next book: The Yellow Cat Mystery
September 8, 2021
I've known a fair few chatterboxs in my time, so could easily relate to Mr Bowler the owner of the hat shop.
Like many of the Mr. Men books in the series our main character has to learn to curtail their annoying habit the hard way.
As everytime Mr Chatterbox talks, his new hat grows and grows until it covers both him and his mouth.
A perfectly fine entry in the series, but the message has been delivered better.
Like Mr. Noisy and his constant shouting...
Like many of the Mr. Men books in the series our main character has to learn to curtail their annoying habit the hard way.
As everytime Mr Chatterbox talks, his new hat grows and grows until it covers both him and his mouth.
A perfectly fine entry in the series, but the message has been delivered better.
Like Mr. Noisy and his constant shouting...
March 20, 2018
He’s Really an Introvert
20 March 2018
The world can be quite an odd place at times and the reason I say that is because it happens to be the introverts that are the really talkative ones, it is just that they tend to be rather selective of the people that they talk to. The reason for that is because they tend to be nervous, and due to their nervousness they simply want to fill up the silence with words whether those words have any meaning or not. In fact, it is not so much that they are talkative but they also happen to be pretty verbose. The reason I suggest all of this is because I tend to be an introvert.
This is why I suspect that Mr Chatterbox is such a chatterbox, and that is because he is an introvert that is so nervous about people, even people that he knows, that he simply has to fill the silence up with words. The other thing is that it is not so much that they can’t stop talking, but rather that they are very selective with people that they talk to. If they don’t know the person, or the person isn’t an extrovert, then they will seem to be very, very quiet.
As such I feel that they are being a little mean to Mr Chatterbox in attempting to silence him because they are going about it the wrong way. Okay, to be fair, he does happen to hold up everybody with his incessant talking, and they are basically too polite to tell him to shut up. The other thing is that I suggest that they live in a small town because it seems that everybody knows everybody else. I actually wonder if you placed Mr Chatterbox into a room full of strangers whether he will talk as much as he does to people that he doesn’t know. Then again, I suspect that there are people who are shy, but they are able to overcome their shyness much easier than others are able to.
So, it seems that they decided to deal with his talkativeness is a way as to hurt him the least, because telling an introvert to shut up doesn’t really go down all that well. The reason that they talk so much is because they have entered their comfort zone, and telling an introvert to shut up pretty much destroys their comfort zone. Then again, maybe the reason that Mr Chatterbox doesn’t talk anywhere near as much at the end of the book is because he has realised that the people of the town really don’t like him all that much, and he has basically withdrawn into himself.
20 March 2018
The world can be quite an odd place at times and the reason I say that is because it happens to be the introverts that are the really talkative ones, it is just that they tend to be rather selective of the people that they talk to. The reason for that is because they tend to be nervous, and due to their nervousness they simply want to fill up the silence with words whether those words have any meaning or not. In fact, it is not so much that they are talkative but they also happen to be pretty verbose. The reason I suggest all of this is because I tend to be an introvert.
This is why I suspect that Mr Chatterbox is such a chatterbox, and that is because he is an introvert that is so nervous about people, even people that he knows, that he simply has to fill the silence up with words. The other thing is that it is not so much that they can’t stop talking, but rather that they are very selective with people that they talk to. If they don’t know the person, or the person isn’t an extrovert, then they will seem to be very, very quiet.
As such I feel that they are being a little mean to Mr Chatterbox in attempting to silence him because they are going about it the wrong way. Okay, to be fair, he does happen to hold up everybody with his incessant talking, and they are basically too polite to tell him to shut up. The other thing is that I suggest that they live in a small town because it seems that everybody knows everybody else. I actually wonder if you placed Mr Chatterbox into a room full of strangers whether he will talk as much as he does to people that he doesn’t know. Then again, I suspect that there are people who are shy, but they are able to overcome their shyness much easier than others are able to.
So, it seems that they decided to deal with his talkativeness is a way as to hurt him the least, because telling an introvert to shut up doesn’t really go down all that well. The reason that they talk so much is because they have entered their comfort zone, and telling an introvert to shut up pretty much destroys their comfort zone. Then again, maybe the reason that Mr Chatterbox doesn’t talk anywhere near as much at the end of the book is because he has realised that the people of the town really don’t like him all that much, and he has basically withdrawn into himself.
October 29, 2017
My children and grandchildren are great fans of the Mr Men. Always a firm favourite and just the right length for a bedtime stories. A must for any children's bookshelf. Recommended.
December 4, 2015
This chap never stops chatting, no, he never stops chatting and always repeats himself and not surprisingly he is called 'Mr Chatterbox', yes, he is 'Mr Chatterbox'. And he always wears a hat perched on the top of his head, the top of his head I say!
He would talk to everybody and anybody about anything and everything, going on and on and on and on and on and on. And if he had nobody to talk to he would talk to himself, talk to himself and also reply to himself as thought there were two persons present, imagine that, as though there were two persons present. Conversation, between himself, would go something like, 'Good morning to you', 'Good morning', 'Nice day isn't it?' 'Yes it is for the time of year.' And so on and so on and so on, oh, I have already told you that, sorry.
He lived in a square shaped house (the ones that I can still only draw!) and it was called Chatterbox Cottage, Chatterbox Cottage it was. And he would begin the day by chatting to the postman and he carried on so long that the postman was often late delivering his letters. Late delivering his letters, indeed.
One day he went into the hat shop owned by Mr Bowler and there he harangued Mr Bowler with the story, three times told, yes, three times, that his present hat was getting too old and he would like to purchase a new one. But he took so long over the request that he kept Mr Bowler in his shop long after he should have closed and gone home for tea. The main reason was that he could not determine how long he had owned his present hat 'It must be, let's think 10 years, no I tell a lie, it can't be that long, or can it, well yes it could be, but on the other hand ...' And we never did discover how long he had owned his hat, probably 10 years, or, on the other hand it may have been longer!
When Mr Bowler managed to get a word in edgeways, or even sideways, he promised to order Mr Chatterbox a new hat. Then he went home for his tea, which he had to eat cold for Mrs Bowler had made it hours earlier.
A week later there was delivered a new hat from Mr Bowler, who told the postman that the hat would be the answer to Mr Chatterbox talking too much. 'I hope so,' said the postman but he wondered how it could be. Mr Bowler explained that it was a magic hat but the postman did not understand and Mr Bowler did not elaborate.
'Oh, goody', said Mr Chatterbox, 'Oh, goody', 'It's my new hat', 'My lovely new hat. I couldn't wait for it to arrive.' 'I got up early this morning because I just knew. I don't know how I knew, I just did.' 'Oh, here's my new hat, I can't wait to try it on. Oh, I do hope it suits me.'
'Try it on? Yes, of course I must try it on, how silly of me to stand here chattering when I haven't tried it on yet. Yes, I will absolutely definitely try it on straight away.' In true Chatterbox style he added that it was silly of him to stand there just talking about trying it on and try it on he did. A new hat, tried on and sparklingly tangerine in colour; it was a truly beautiful hat, a truly beautiful hat.
He thought it, more than once, the best hat he had ever owned but while he was talking a funny thing happened. As he kept on talking the hat kept on growing larger and it eventually grew to his feet and he could talk no more. AS he could not talk, the hat began to get smaller and Mr Bowler knew that his magic hat had had done the trick.
Mr Chatterbox did not realise what had happened and next day he accosted the postman and began one of his diatribes only to find the hat once more growing and shutting him up. The postman then knew what Mr Bowler meant by a magic hat - Mr Chatterbox was speechless.
Once he was aware what the hat was doing, Mr Chatterbox learned his lesson and he began to talk half as much, indeed, half as much, yes that is a full half as much as he previously did.
Now, where's my new hat?.....
He would talk to everybody and anybody about anything and everything, going on and on and on and on and on and on. And if he had nobody to talk to he would talk to himself, talk to himself and also reply to himself as thought there were two persons present, imagine that, as though there were two persons present. Conversation, between himself, would go something like, 'Good morning to you', 'Good morning', 'Nice day isn't it?' 'Yes it is for the time of year.' And so on and so on and so on, oh, I have already told you that, sorry.
He lived in a square shaped house (the ones that I can still only draw!) and it was called Chatterbox Cottage, Chatterbox Cottage it was. And he would begin the day by chatting to the postman and he carried on so long that the postman was often late delivering his letters. Late delivering his letters, indeed.
One day he went into the hat shop owned by Mr Bowler and there he harangued Mr Bowler with the story, three times told, yes, three times, that his present hat was getting too old and he would like to purchase a new one. But he took so long over the request that he kept Mr Bowler in his shop long after he should have closed and gone home for tea. The main reason was that he could not determine how long he had owned his present hat 'It must be, let's think 10 years, no I tell a lie, it can't be that long, or can it, well yes it could be, but on the other hand ...' And we never did discover how long he had owned his hat, probably 10 years, or, on the other hand it may have been longer!
When Mr Bowler managed to get a word in edgeways, or even sideways, he promised to order Mr Chatterbox a new hat. Then he went home for his tea, which he had to eat cold for Mrs Bowler had made it hours earlier.
A week later there was delivered a new hat from Mr Bowler, who told the postman that the hat would be the answer to Mr Chatterbox talking too much. 'I hope so,' said the postman but he wondered how it could be. Mr Bowler explained that it was a magic hat but the postman did not understand and Mr Bowler did not elaborate.
'Oh, goody', said Mr Chatterbox, 'Oh, goody', 'It's my new hat', 'My lovely new hat. I couldn't wait for it to arrive.' 'I got up early this morning because I just knew. I don't know how I knew, I just did.' 'Oh, here's my new hat, I can't wait to try it on. Oh, I do hope it suits me.'
'Try it on? Yes, of course I must try it on, how silly of me to stand here chattering when I haven't tried it on yet. Yes, I will absolutely definitely try it on straight away.' In true Chatterbox style he added that it was silly of him to stand there just talking about trying it on and try it on he did. A new hat, tried on and sparklingly tangerine in colour; it was a truly beautiful hat, a truly beautiful hat.
He thought it, more than once, the best hat he had ever owned but while he was talking a funny thing happened. As he kept on talking the hat kept on growing larger and it eventually grew to his feet and he could talk no more. AS he could not talk, the hat began to get smaller and Mr Bowler knew that his magic hat had had done the trick.
Mr Chatterbox did not realise what had happened and next day he accosted the postman and began one of his diatribes only to find the hat once more growing and shutting him up. The postman then knew what Mr Bowler meant by a magic hat - Mr Chatterbox was speechless.
Once he was aware what the hat was doing, Mr Chatterbox learned his lesson and he began to talk half as much, indeed, half as much, yes that is a full half as much as he previously did.
Now, where's my new hat?.....
March 30, 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.
February 3, 2010
A tale of a magical hat and someone with a propensity for verbal diahorrea. I think we all know someone like Mr Chatterbox, and would love to have a magical solution.
The sheer verbosity of Mr Chatterbox made it a difficult read to my children, but it emphasised the nature of his affliction!
Even my talkative 4 year old was astounded by the avalanche of words tumbling from my mouth: "Does he really say all that?"
It's just a shame that hats aren't in fashion as much these days. We have to suffer instead.
The sheer verbosity of Mr Chatterbox made it a difficult read to my children, but it emphasised the nature of his affliction!
Even my talkative 4 year old was astounded by the avalanche of words tumbling from my mouth: "Does he really say all that?"
It's just a shame that hats aren't in fashion as much these days. We have to suffer instead.
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.
August 22, 2017
Mr Chatterbox appears to have some sort of mental issue, perhaps multiple personality disorder, as he not only speaks to himself but also answers himself. He also has some sort of social ineptitude, to the point where he cannot tell when it is appropriate to be quiet or let someone be on their way. This is all fixed by a magical hat that makes Mr Chatterbox THINK instead of talk talk talk. I feel we could all benefit from more thinking and less dialogue.
December 28, 2014
The 'Mr Men' and 'Little Miss' books are so simple yet so effective. I love the way that all the characters are linked and how characters pop up in other stories!
The books are great for encouraging young children to read because they are interesting, have a variety of simple language and are short enough that young children don't get bored! Children love collecting all the characters too.
The books are great for encouraging young children to read because they are interesting, have a variety of simple language and are short enough that young children don't get bored! Children love collecting all the characters too.
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.
April 10, 2009
I have always loved the Mr. and Little Miss books! My second grade teacher would read them to us after lunch. I still have my copy of Mr. Chatterbox from almost 25 years ago. I have more recently started collecting them and would love to buy a whole set.
June 16, 2008
How to silence a chatterbox. The use of a magic hat is advised.
March 5, 2009
This is a fun little book. I wish I had a magic hat to deal with chatterboxes.
April 25, 2010
Mr chatterbox always chatter.He chatters at night and day.He disturbs everybody.There was a hat.It is very special.
December 30, 2011
Mr Chatterbox. remind me of nothing but me.. LOVED the writing in it and the idea I just loved the whole tiny book.
July 5, 2013
It's great to talk with friends and neighbors but surely not too much and not like Mr. Chatterbox, but what a plan the seller thought of, it was really great ^_^
December 15, 2022
Mr Chatterbox is quite sweet but he just doesn't know when to stop talking and it gets to be too much for those around him who can't get a word in edgeways! He learns a valuable lesson in the form of an expanding hat that swamps him when he gets going with the chatter and makes it tricky for him to keep talking!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2020
Continuing our family isolation get together. Lucy a little over tired tonight.
December 26, 2021
Mr. Chatterbox just can’t stop talking, which reminds me of someone. That’s right, me.
December 28, 2018
Mr Men Marathon continues with no breaks here at the Reading stadium as Mr Chatterbox talks his way through book twenty and the unique design of the names sloping down on the cover if they are too long to fit, no smaller font just a sloping name!
Anyway more talkative fun here as the first twenty are down and now to bridge the gap between #21 and the next one I have read #26 (Mr Strong)
Anyway more talkative fun here as the first twenty are down and now to bridge the gap between #21 and the next one I have read #26 (Mr Strong)
August 31, 2018
Another lesson to be learned by the younger audience. If you don’t shut up, the magic hat will shut you up. The world is full of chatterboxes who are egotists who never let others the chance to speak.
March 5, 2009
I loved the Mr. books when I was little :)
October 1, 2016
“Mr Chatterbox” - Unable to refrain from constant chattering, Mr Bowler and the mailman find a magic gift for him. “That hat taught Mr Chatterbox his lesson.”
December 23, 2016
I did not like this book because I do not like chatting. I also did not like this book because Mr. Chatterbox chatted too much.
February 16, 2018
A lovely story about the cure for Mr Chatterbox.
January 30, 2020
6 year old says... I don't really like it, I actually really do like it. I think it's very silly because he doesn't stop talking but at the end I think he's quite good.
40 year old says... Another frustrating book from Mr Hargreaves. This one is a hat salesman who doesn't like Mr Chatterbox talking so much, so goes out of his way to make Mr chatterbox's life miserable. I never realised the recurring theme through these books does definitely seem to be 'if someone has a trait which doesn't fit with your version of the world, dont speak to them about it, just go out of the way to ruin their life'
40 year old says... Another frustrating book from Mr Hargreaves. This one is a hat salesman who doesn't like Mr Chatterbox talking so much, so goes out of his way to make Mr chatterbox's life miserable. I never realised the recurring theme through these books does definitely seem to be 'if someone has a trait which doesn't fit with your version of the world, dont speak to them about it, just go out of the way to ruin their life'
February 8, 2020
Mr. Chatterbox can’t stop talking.
Most people know a person like Mr. Chatterbox, someone who likes to talk on and on, which often delays and inconveniences others. This story allows readers to reflect upon their own experience. It may even serve as reminder not to talk so much.
Once again the inhabitants of Misterland turn to magic to minimize the negative effects of a character’s dominant trait.
Most people know a person like Mr. Chatterbox, someone who likes to talk on and on, which often delays and inconveniences others. This story allows readers to reflect upon their own experience. It may even serve as reminder not to talk so much.
Once again the inhabitants of Misterland turn to magic to minimize the negative effects of a character’s dominant trait.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews