The Tiger Who Came To Tea: apply for your FREE copy and post a question for author Judith Kerr: Q&A AND GIVEAWAY CLOSED

[RachelMumsnet]

This week we have 50 copies of Judith Kerr's classic The Tigers Who Came To Tea to giveaway. Apply for a free copy

We're delighted that author Judith Kerr is joining us for a Q&A to celebrate her 90th birthday and the publication of her beautiful retrospective called Judith Kerr's Creatures: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Judith Kerr. Everyone who posts a question to Judith and joins the discussion on this page about her books will be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Judith Kerr's Creatures.

Judith is one of Britain's most well known children's author and illustrator and her most well known books, the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came To Tea are classics across generations of book lovers. Her celebrated book for older children, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit was based on her own life as Judith spent her early childhood in Berlin but moved to the UK after the rise of Hitler in 1933. In Creatures Judith tells of her family's struggles with language and money, and what it was like to be a German refugee in London during the war.

Post your question to Judith and let us know your favourite Judith Kerr book by 10am on 17th June and we'll post up her answers and announce the winner of the signed book on Monday 24th June.

I adore the illustrations in The Tiger Who Came for Tea and something about the story although I can't quite pinpoint what or put into words exactly why, makes it my favourite book! (not just favourite Judith Kerr book but my favourite book of all time!). The illustrations just capture that era so perfectly that when I see Sophie and her mum sitting at the table, it could just as easily have been me as a child with my mum, their kitchen could have been my childhood kitchen. The high street and the Café just remind me of happy times, simpler times and special treats and how much we take for granted these days - and yet Sophie's mum struggled through the whole day largely on her own and put a brave face on just like my mum did.

My Question would be: How much do you think books like The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the Mog series have influenced more recent picture book author/illustrators?

(My guess is that they have had a huge impact and many of my favourite children's books today would not even exist without the influence of Judith Kerr - but just wondered her thoughts on it or if she knows of specific authors/illustrators that have actually told her of the influence she has had on them).

My three children aged 2,5 and 6 love The Tiger who came to tea and all the Mog stories, and we listen to the Mog CDs in the car too.

I read 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' as a child (possibly at too young an age, I'm not sure) and later confused it in my mind with the diary of Anne Frank (may because the girl's name was Anna). I was quite disappointed by Anne Frank when I then read it later as I thought it was less entertaining (albeit interesting)! Did you read Anne Frank, and did it have any effect on your book?

Hello Judith we really like "When Willy Went to the Wedding" but we all want to know why doesn't Willy's sister have a name? If she does what is it please? My daughter always asks about The Bride.

Hi Judith, This is my first post ever but I love Judiths books so much I felt it warrented a post.
The tiger who came to tea, such a classic, has been our favorite bedtime book for all my three children. I know it off by heart. It has been so well read that the pages are now stuck in with selotape. My eldest DS who is now 9, who was reading this post behind me as I was typing, has now asked to read it again tonight. He would like to ask Judith where the tiger came from and why did he choose that particular house??
Creatures sounds amazing, just up my DS street, he loves anything to do with Wartime Germany and has based many a school project on it. I know that after reading it he would have many more questions for Judith (if she were ever to have afew hours to spare!).
Happy Birthday Judith.

Wow. We are all huge fans of Judith Kerr's work.

I just wanted to say a special thank you for Goodbye Mog. It really helped dd1 through the death of Cat One. Was it anywhere near as hard to write as it is to read (to read as a Grown-Up. Oddly all of the children to whom I've read it seem far more stoical than me) ?

Judith - The tiger that came to tea, was one of my top 5 story books as a child and i look forward to the day i can read the story to my own (future) dc's.

My question is:

Why is it a tiger who came to tea? were all the lions busy that day

Do you think Yann Martel (author of Life of Pi) read TTTCTT as a child? ;0)

Love Judith Kerr's books. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit was my all time favourite book as a child (always had it borrowed from the library) and it's been a delight catching up with the rest of the Out of the Hitler Time trilogy as an adult, and introducing my daughter to Judith's books.

My question is this: Pink Rabbit tells the story of the flight of Judith's family from Nazi Germany and their subsequent life as refugees. Does Judith think British values/attitudes to refugees have changed in the post war period?

Absolutely loved reading TTWCTT with my children and also the Mog books (while hugging our own cat) Didnt know there was a Goodbye Mog....think that would break my beart now after losing our own cat last year
:'(

All three of my children often asked why the tiger was never full.up.....I always said because he was a big tiger.....but was there another meaning to Judiths story or was it simply a greedy big cat??

Forgot to say I also last year purchased the book for my GREAT nephew as I had done for my nephews and neices becore him.......its the one book I knew whole heartedly would be loved by them all......and I was right!!
You are a fantastics author and your illustrations are fantastic and I know your books had great use in my house and have helped make.all three of my children fantastic writers (now aged 18, 16, 12) and we still have copies of your books........for future generations!!
Happy birthday Judith......have a fantastic day from a very happy bookworm family.

I loved 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' and am so pleased my daughters have also enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your history and stories with us. We liked TTWCTT & the Mog books too but 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' is !!!! [fireworks emoticon please MNHQ].

Happy birthday!

I was interested in why you allowed Mog to die. I absolutely broke my heart reading that book. I had a clearance of kids books recently to pass to my wee nice e, but I kept all of yours! They have so many happy memories in every age. I like how the mums look harassed with pots boiling over etc!

First of all thank you for your lovely books, they were part of my DDs' early childhood. Lovely to read out loud - never got that sinking feeling if a 'Mog' or TTWCTT came of the shelf. DD2's favourite story for over a year was Mog & Bunny. Think we could probably all still quote from it years later. Also loved Mog the Forgetful Cat - enjoying Mog's knack of sitting in the wrong place - and Mog's Christmas, with the aunts on 'tippy toe' and of course Mog & the Baby with brilliantly named Mrs Clutterbuck. I also get a little rush of nostalgia for my own 70's childhood when I look at the pics - esp some of the street scenes.

All books now have special place on the bookshelf, could never give them away!

My question: Mog has lots of dreams (and even some visions in Mog & the Granny); do you think cats dream?

(My 12yo DD1 would like to know why Mog had to die - but think she gets it really.)

Thank you again for your warm and funny books.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I loved reading The Tiger That Came to Tea, Mog and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit when I was young. In fact I just re-read the Trilogy recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. And I'm also thrilled that my 16 month old now enjoys TTTCTT (albeit mostly enjoying turning the pages and looking at the pictures, I'm not sure he fully comprehends the story yet!).
My grandma left Berlin at about the same time as you. She was also Jewish, with two children, and she ended up in England after spending time in Palestine. Strangely enough, I'm about to move to Berlin myself for a few years whilst my partner works there.
My question is whether you have any childhood memories of Berlin that I could recreate for my son? Apart from playing in the snow, which I remember from your book...

A cheeky second question:
Bizarrely, my sister always hated The Tiger Who Came To Tea - she was a stickler for rules and politeness and she couldn't get over how rude the tiger was for eating all their food and drinking all their drink!
Have you ever heard of such a strange response to your books before?

Not a question but I just want to tell you that your book When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is one of my all time favourite books and the subsequent follow ups. Even as an adult I love re reading them.

Thank you.

My daughter's favourite,always "Mog and the Baby"! My own,as a primary teacher,is "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit".It was always such a treat for the class to listen to a chapter at the end of each afternoon. One little boy used to ask anxiously each day "Will we 'ave time for the 'Itler book,Miss?" My question is: It must be amazing to have written books that children will always read. I read that your father's books were burned by the Nazis. Did that motivate you to write? and do you feel that in some ways,the legacy of your fame is extra special because of him?

In case people haven't seen this - Hay Sessions 2013 with Judith Kerr (from this year's Hay Festiva)l is on tonight on Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 1 HD at 7pm. I think it's repeated as well.

Question: did you ever imagine the Tiger (and all your books would be as popular with adults as with children?

Hello Judith

Thank you so much for your wonderful books. We have so much fun reading them.

I love TTWCTT and never thought it was anything other than a fanciful tale spun around an everyday occurrence. The stay-at-home parent usually endeavours to have a meal ready for their partner but sometimes this doesn't happen! In a happy family (as in TTWCTT) this is met with 'never mind let's go to a cafe/get a takeaway/have that rusty tin of soup'; in a not so happy one with 'what have you done all day?' etc.

I always thought it a sign of my parents' happy marriage that my father would cheerfully eat anything my mother put in front of him - even if it consisted mainly of bread and butter (these were known as 'Wimbledon teas' as they were often served when Mum had been watching tennis all day!).

My favourite book of yours is 'Mog and Bunny'. I just think that the story is perfectly constructed. The last page is the perfect punchline and I love Mrs Thomas saying 'Perhaps Bunny is not quite so horrible, now he's been washed by the rain'. It seems to sum up a lot of parenthood and pet ownership in one sentence.

I also love the 'Mog sat in the dark and thought dark thoughts' passage in 'Mog the Forgetful Cat' (self pity absolutely skewered there!), the illustration of Mog's dream of babies with the four kittens in 'Mog and the Baby' and Mr Thomas's very authentic dad tantrum about the egg in 'Mog on Fox Night'. Which leads to my question:

Is Mr Thomas modelled on your husband, your father or both? (If you say neither I will be AMAZED!) He is so like my other half that my daughter and I can barely read his cross and shouty bits for giggles!

Book arrived in the post this morning. DS ripped it open, knowing it was a new book and couldn't wait to ready it with me

We've since read it 4 times today!

Thanks so much for a lovely book

Being dim but when do the questions get answered? I have another theory having read it last night. Is he tiger actually a metaphor for the mothers lover? As in, eating everything is taking away from daddy? Or is it a bailiff?

Lovely book. Such a nice story. My son who is 7 enjoyed it as it made him laugh. Going to tell my fellow TA's about it tomorow.

Book arrived this morning! Waited all day for DD (3.5) to come home from nursery. I've never actually read this, despite knowing its a classic.
DD was engrossed and we've read it three times this evening already. DH wasn't impressed which surprised me as I quite enjoyed it. I did find it a little dated, but I think that's it's charm.
I remember and love the Mog books! This has reminded me to hunt them out for DD when we next go to the library.

Thank you for the lovely story. Very happy little girl here tonight.

Thanks for the free copy, just received today. My children really enjoyed this book although I personally found the story a bit strange. They kept talking to me about the story afterwards. I think it will now become the most requested bedtime story for long time.