As an iconic Little Miss character, this latest creation joins a line-up of over 90 iconic Little Miss and Mr. Men personalities who have delighted children for decades.

The franchise launched over 45 years ago, when Hargreaves’ son Adam asked him what a tickle looked like. In response, Roger drew a small orange man with extraordinarily long arms that could reach anywhere and tickle anyone. Mr. Tickle was born and many other characters followed, in a globally adored franchise that sends books spinning off the shelves at a rate of one every 2.5 seconds.

“I always enjoy creating a brand new character for the series and it was fun coming up with lots of crazy inventions for Little Miss Inventor’s home and silly ones for all her friends,” says Adam Hargreaves, who now continues his father’s legacy of the bestselling books. “It’s also been nice to write a story that promotes a positive role model and to challenge a stereotype, if only in a small way.”

It may be a modest gesture, but it’s a significant one.

While more women are taking up positions in core STEM occupations in Britain, the proportion of us in these jobs is falling overall. STEM professions are booming, and women aren’t keeping the pace with men when it comes to meeting the demand for talent. If we don’t catch up soon, the UK technology sector will not only suffer from a lack of gender parity; it risks stagnating altogether.

To turn the tide, girls should be allowed to share in a passion for STEM early on; we need inspiring teaching and positive role models.

Little Miss Inventor can’t work miracles but she is a symbolic step forward in this ongoing battle for recognition. All hail her STEM-fuelled prowess.

(And any adults with a rekindled love for the characters can further indulge in this new Christmas range for grown-ups.)

Little Miss Inventor is released by Egmont Publishing on 8 March 2018

Images: Egmont

The new Little Miss is the playground feminist muse we've all been waiting for