Mr. Tickle's story begins with him in bed and making himself breakfast without getting up because of his "extraordinarily long arms". He then decides that it is a tickling sort of day and so goes around town tickling people - a teacher, a policeman, a greengrocer, a child, a station guard, a pilot, a doctor, a butcher and a postman. The book ends with a warning that Mr. Tickle could be lurking around your doorway, waiting to tickle you or your children.

It is a relatively unusual Mr Men book in that the main character gets up to some naughty behaviour (making trains late and letters going into a puddle), yet there is no corrective action taken to mend his mischevious ways, Mr Tickle is left free to tickle another day.