Judith Kerr: Author of ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’ dies aged 95
Children’s book author, Judith Kerr, has passed away in her home at the age of 95.
The news of Judith’s passing has people around the world reminiscing about memories of her books and the way they touched their families.
Her publisher, HarperCollins, shared the news saying,”It is with great sadness that we announce that Judith Kerr OBE, author and illustrator of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Mog the Forgetful Cat and many other classic children’s books, died at home yesterday aged 95 following a short illness”.
A wonderful legacy
Even though Judith only started writing children’s books in her 40s, these titles have now been around for over 50 years – becoming a cherished staple in childhoods across the globe. Not only that, they’ve been loved by children, their parents as children, even their grandparents as children.
The Tiger Who Came To Tea alone has sold over five million copies, and never once since its release went out of print. Arguably her most famous and well-loved character, Mog, was the star of 15 books – and many will remember a sense of sadness reading the final one, Goodbye Mog, released in 2002.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit was perhaps one of her boldest works, detailing her family’s escape from Berlin during World War II through the eyes of a child. In the book, the main character is named “Anna” – and she simply can’t understand why being Jewish could cause such trouble. Its simple honesty is touching and poignant – a truly special piece of narrative history.
She never stopped working
Her career truly was an amazing one, and she kept creating beautiful stories right up until she fell sick. She released the book Mummy Time in 2018, and the world will receive one last Judith classic later this year, titled The Curse of the School Rabbit. As proof of her enduring hard work and excellent storytelling, she was last week named Illustrator of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards.
HarperCollins’s Executive Publisher, Ann-Janine Murtagh, released a statement, sharing: “(Judith always brought) her books in person; often arriving on the number 9 bus and leaving us all full of laughter and in awe of her astonishing zest for life and absolute commitment to delivering the very best books for children …
“Her incisive wit and dry humour made her both excellent company and a joy to publish. She embraced life as one great big adventure and lived every day to the full.”
RIP Judith. And how fortunate we are to still have your stories.
This post was originally published on Kinderling Kids Radio. Download the Kinderling app for more great stories.
