My daughter asked me what Mr. Men character I wanted to add to the series, and I said an autistic one. In the spirit of "you can do anything" parenting this is an outline of how such a Mr. Men story might look. Happy to receive any comments from "not awful" to "deeply offensive", but please if it is "deeply offensive" just let me know and accept my sincere apologies for any offence.
Adrian
Note: I was going to get AI to fill in some draft images but it is not so easy to get the continuity of characters through a book this way, and also difficult to get the AI to breach copyright by including existing (Mr. Men) characters in your story – so you will have to imagine what the pictures could look like from the brief descriptions…. (you can see that the attempt at the titular character did not go particularly well – he is too tall with arms and legs too long for a Mr. Men character, they do not normally have shoes, hat too big, face too expressive, no glasses etc).
Mr. Cloud
Picture: Head in cloud (sky blue person with cloud around neck, and short-sighted with small orange bowler hat
- Mr Cloud seemed to keep missing what was going on. Even if something was happening right in front of him he might miss what people felt or why. Other people just thought he was rude but he really did try.
[picture of his finger pointing at newspaper with small red writing ‘funny joke’ with big headline REALLY SAD NEWS in black all around it.]
- Mr Cloud was the sort of person who, if they passed someone sobbing in the street, they would not stop to see if they could help, or even offer a kind understanding look, and would just walk on.
Others would think how rude, but Mr Cloud had not even realised that the person was upset.
[Picture of Mr. Quiet sobbing.]
- Mr Cloud met Mr Happy. “Good Morning Mr Cloud” said Mr Happy. “Good morning” said Mr Cloud. “I am organising a town fair” said Mr Happy, “There are so many things to be done, what I really need is someone to help with the posters for the fair to ensure that everyone knows it is happening”. “I Know” said Mr Cloud “You could ask Little Miss Bossy. If she tells people to go to the fair they are sure to do it”. “Oh good idea” said Mr Happy.
[Picture of Mr Happy with a clipboard]
- Mr Cloud walked off and thought …I did a really good poster for that concert, I would have liked to do the poster for the fair. I wonder why Mr Happy did not ask me to do the poster. Maybe he did not like my last poster even though he said he liked it!
[Picture of Mr Cloud looking puzzled and sad]
- Mr Happy walked off and thought to himself, I really wanted Mr Cloud to do the poster. Mr Cloud did a great poster for the concert. I wonder why Mr Cloud did not offer to help, maybe he is really busy, but it is a bit rude of him to not help and not give any reason for not helping. He just ignored my request!
[Picture of Mr Happy looking thoughtful]
- The following morning Mr Cloud met Mr Field the farmer. “Hello, Mr Cloud, I am having a very busy day, can you help me please” said Mr Field. “Hello, yes of course” said Mr Cloud. “My sheep have escaped” explained Mr Field “I need to gather them up. Could you finish ploughing my field for me? It needs doing today before it rains.” “Of course, I can help,” said Mr Cloud. “How do I do that?” So Mr Field told him everything he needed to know about ploughing.
[Picture of some lost sheep on street next to houses.]
- On the way to plough Mr Field’s field Mr Cloud met Mrs Fetch the dog walker. “Hello, Mr Cloud, thank goodness I have met you, can you help me please?” said Mrs Fetch. “How can I help”, replied Mr Cloud. ”My son Billy has caught chickenpox and I need to take him to the doctor. Could you walk Mr Meat’s dog Growler please,” explained Mrs Fetch “If I take him back without a walk he will run around the butchers and eat all the sausages.” “What do I need to do?” Asked Mr Cloud. So Mrs Fetch told him all he needed to know about walking Growler the dog.
[Picture of lady with large Doberman style dog and small child with chickenpox]
- On the way to walk Growler the dog, and plough Mr Field’s field, Mr Cloud met an old woman who needed some shopping doing. I can just do that on my way thought Mr Cloud and so he agreed and hurried off to get all the items from the shop.
[Picture little old lady with shopping basket].
- On the way to get the shopping, and walk Growler the dog, and plough Mr Field’s field, Mr Cloud passed Mr Chatterbox. “Hello, nice day isn’t it, well sort of nice if you like that sort of thing and nice if you are having a nice time,“ said Mr Chatterbox. “Hello,” said Mr Cloud. “Sorry I have to go I am in a rush.”
[Picture of Mr Chatterbox]
10. “Oh very interesting what are you rushing about for all of a sudden? I am sure you don’t have as much to do as Mr Rush, why not stay and chat a bit and tell me all about it, I also have something interesting to say?” said Mr Chatterbox. “I really have to go,” blurted out Mr Cloud and rushed off. Oh that was rude thought Mr Chatterbox.
[Picture of Mr Chatterbox looking upset]
- Next, on the way to get the shopping and walk Growler the dog and plough Mr Field’s field, Mr Cloud passed Little Miss Splendid. Mr Cloud was in such a frenzy thinking about how to plough fields, walk dogs, shopping lists, and wondering what Mr Chatterbox had wanted to say that he hardly noticed Little Miss Splendid. And did Mr Cloud doff his hat and politely acknowledge Little Miss Splendid as he passed? He did not! Little Miss Splendid thought that very rude indeed.
[Picture of Little Miss Splendid looking indignant.]
12. The next day, Mr Cloud met Little Miss Bossy. “Mr Cloud, you need to help,” she exclaimed. “I am organising the town fair with Mr Happy. I need you to get these items.” “I guess I could help,” said Mr Cloud cautiously not really sure what Little Miss Bossy had in mind. Little Miss Bossy listed out the items and Mr Cloud went off. Little Miss Bossy thought to herself – Mr Cloud did not look at me when I told him the list, he probably was not even listening. What a rude person!
[Picture of Little Miss Bossy looking angry]
13. The next morning Mr Happy was setting up the fair. Little Miss Bossy exclaimed “Mr Cloud is so rude he would not look at me when I was talking to him”. Little Miss Splendid overhead and said “yes, he is very rude. He did not even doff his hat when he passed me.” Mr Chatterbox added “Mr Cloud shouted at me, he looked very angry like he was in a frenzy.” Mr Quiet said (very quietly) “yes, Mr Cloud ignored me when I was so sad, maybe he is just rude.”
[Picture of Little Miss Bossy, Little Miss Splendid, Mr Chatterbox, and Mr Quiet all complaining].
14. Mr Happy thought to himself, there really were quite a few situations where Mr Cloud had been rather rude, and angry with people for no reason, and had not listened to what was being said. Maybe something should be done about him.
[Picture of Mr Happy looking thoughtful]
15. Then Mr Rush arrived. Little Miss Bossy demanded “Have you brought all the items for the fair? I asked you very clearly and I saw that you looked at me when I asked you.” But Mr Rush had not brought the items, they were wrong and there were mistakes. Mr Rush had rushed things. Then Mr Cloud arrived. He had brought all the things that Little Miss Bossy had asked for, they were correct and on time.
[Picture of Mr Rush looking sad and Mr Cloud with lots of boxes.]
16. Mr Happy came up to Mr Cloud and said “You have upset a lot of people, maybe it would be best if you did not come to the fair.”
[Picture of Mr Happy pointing and Mr Cloud walking off sadly.]
17. Just then Mr Field turned up and said “Stop. I do not want you to go Mr Cloud, you did a great job on my field”. Mrs Fetch and the little old woman also wanted Mr Cloud to stay. Even Little Miss Bossy explained to Mr Happy what had happened and how helpful Mr Cloud had been.
[Picture of Mr Field, Mrs Fetch, the little old woman, and Little Miss Bossy all looking happy.]
- Mr Happy realised that Mr Cloud was not as rude as people assumed, and that sometimes he only appeared rude because he was concentrating on what people were saying or what he was doing. When he was concentrating, or overwhelmed he may not notice that he had upset someone or that someone else was upset. In fact this may happen to lots of people.
[Picture of Mr Happy giving Mr Cloud a hug.]
19. Including an autistic person.
© Adrian
mr autistic 
