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First Impression: A classic children’s book that has stood the test of time to be as much loved now as it was in 1968.

The Tiger Who Came to tea Book Cover

The Tiger Who Came to Tea by famed author, Judith Kerr, is an absolute delight to read, to listen to and to watch. First published in 1968, this children’s picture book has gone on to release its 50th Anniversary Edition. Whilst many books use print reruns to update the cover design, The Tiger Who Came to Tea remains consistent, and quite rightly so as it is perfect as it is.

The story is about a little girl called Sophie whose morning tea is disturbed one day by a visitor to the house. After pondering who it could be and deciding it could not be anyone they know, Sophie opens the door to a very tall, hungry tiger who enquires as to whether he might join her and her mummy for tea. Well, who could refuse such a polite request? It’s not every day a talking tiger appears at one’s door. However, the family quite literally bite off more than can chew as they begin to feed the tiger. Will they have enough food? And what happens if they don’t? What will dad say when he finally arrives home? Keep reading to find out what happens to Sophie and her family after this chance encounter.

As a child, I loved this book. It was a firm favorite for a short bedtime read. It’s the type of story children love to memorize and retell in their own words and the illustrations make this very easy to do as they accompany the text and provide a visual for several sentences at a time. It gives me great pleasure to be about to share this with my own children and to see them extract the same joy from the text. I must say, it is just as enjoyable to read today as it was decades ago despite the fact that I have grown up. I particularly loved seeing how much the book is cherished each year when I see children, including my own, dressing as the distinctive tiger for World Book Day.

The book is structured in such a way that allows for a lot of sound play that interchanges frequently. There is the voice of mum, of Sophie, of dad and of the narrator. The text often builds suspense by asking questions, making assumptions, and showing awe at what the tiger is doing. The fact that the classic can now be watched as an adaptation on television is testament to its popularity and provides a demonstration of how well voice acting can be extended to animation. Although the primary audience is 2–4-year-olds, I would recommend this to a wider audience and include those between the ages of 0-7. Read at bedtime, or just throughout the day, the book is thoroughly enjoyable however it is shared.

Quick Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / G Rated

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