Judith Kerr And The Story Behind ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’

“The tale of a friendship and a cheeky cup of tea.”

The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a beloved, classic children’s picture book written and illustrated by Judith Kerr, first published in 1968. It tells a simple, charming story of an unexpected visitor and is ideal for reading aloud to young children. 

Summary

The book’s plot is simple yet whimsical. A young girl named Sophie and her mother are sitting down for tea in the kitchen when a large, furry, stripy tiger knocks on the door and asks to join them. The polite but ravenous tiger proceeds to eat all the sandwiches, buns, biscuits, and everything else in the house, even drinking all the water from the taps, before leaving, never to return. When Sophie’s father comes home, they realize all the food is gone, and he suggests they all go out to a café for a lovely supper of sausages and chips. The next day, Sophie and her mother buy an extra large tin of “tiger food” just in case he comes back, but he never does. 

Themes and Reviews

The book has been lauded as a “modern classic” by publications like The Independent for its enduring charm and timeless appeal. 

• Imagination: Reviewers praise the book for sparking creativity and imagination in children, presenting a surreal event within an otherwise normal household scene. The parents’ unbothered acceptance of the tiger’s visit encourages imaginative play.
• Humor: The preposterous notion of a tiger creating mayhem is found to be very funny by young children, with the tiger drinking all the dad’s beer often cited as a humorous moment.
• Illustrations: The illustrations are described as warm, colorful, and engaging, with a nostalgic, retro charm that adults often remember from their own childhoods.
• Reading Aloud: The simple language, short sentence structure, and repetitive nature of the story make it excellent for reading aloud or for small children to read to themselves