Katinka’s Tail

Judith Kerr OBE was born in Berlin. Her family left Germany in 1933 to escape the rising Nazi party, and came to England. She studied at the Central School of Art and later worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC.Judith married the celebrated screenwriter Nigel Kneale in 1954. She left the BBC to look after their two children, who inspired her first picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Published in 1968 and never out of print in the fifty years since, it has become a much-loved classic and perennial bestseller.Judith was awarded the Booktrust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, and in 2019 was named Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards. Judith died in May 2019 at the age of 95, and her stories continue to entertain and delight generations of children.

“Beautiful drawings, precise language: Katinka’s tale has all the magic we have come to expect of Kerr.” The Times, Children’s Book of the Week“…a beautiful, funny, warm and tender picture book, which takes a joyous and magical twist at the end. We’re in the presence of a true master of her art here…” Booktrust“Wonderful illustrations and the sprinkling of golden magic make this a book to treasure.” Julia Eccleshare, LoveReading4Kids – Books of the Year 2017“Kerr is one of the best authors a child of 3+ could encounter.”The Times“It’s no surprise Judith’s work is still popular. It owes nothing to the vagaries of style or fashion. Her warmth and humanity are timeless.” Michael ForemanPraise for The Tiger Who Came to Tea:‘A modern classic.’ The Independent.‘This book has enduring charm and young children will delight in the preposterous notion of a tiger creating mayhem in the house.’ Junior MagazinePraise for Mog the Forgetful Cat:‘Grandparents are likely to get as much fun out of seeing it again as the new generation of fans just learning to read!’ Choice Magazine