My holiday inside a classic picture book
What happened when we stayed in what I'm sure was the real location from The Tiger Who came to tea.
My son’s current favourite book is a classic. The Tiger Who came to tea by Judith Kerr. My copy is from the 1990’s, and lived in my parents’ attic for over 20 years before being brought back into the daylight for my son.
A couple of weekends ago, my cousin got married. It was in Wales (naturally) where my family is from, and we stayed in an AirBnB that my parents had found. We survived the long train journey down from London with a toddler, and enjoyed a drizzly walk around the pretty rural village before it was time for my son’s bath and bedtime routine. Sat on the sofa in the study, where his cot was set up, we opened The Tiger Who Came to Tea together and began to read.
Looking at the illustrations that night, there was something even more familiar about them. Sophie’s kitchen is where most of the book takes place. It’s got a wonderful yellow table, vintage teapot and cups, and midcentury cupboards.
Once my son was asleep I dashed down the stairs to look again at the kitchen. The similarities were striking.
They even had one of those sliding serving hatches - dreamy!
I have always admired Judith Kerr’s drawings in this book, and the wonderful simplicity of the story. Its warmth, sense of fun in the everyday, and of course the tiger himself - full of character, larger than life, and very friendly - have made it the classic that it is today. Reading it again as an adult, I’m also struck by the stylishness of ‘Mummy’ and the chic interior decor. I was admiring the kitchen - then found myself in it. Even the cups were similar.
It struck me that perhaps the strength of the sense of place, combined with the nostalgia of the 1960’s setting, are part of what makes The Tiger Who Came to Tea such a classic. Setting can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to illustration, in favour of character or plot - but for child readers, particularly young ones who can’t actually read, like my one and a half year old, the pictures, and the sense of place they evoke, is a key part of the story.
Perhaps my favourite spread from the book is this one, where Sophie and her parents go out for tea - Sophie just with a coat over her nightie.
The sense of excitement, almost naughtiness, in this past-bedtime adventure, still impacts me as an adult - the thought of a ‘lovely supper with sausages and chips and ice cream’ still appeals to me in my thirties.
My son loves this spread because he can point out the cat, or ‘dat’, or ‘delda’ (his version of our cat’s name - Zelda).
It’s a reminder that truly great picturebooks are just as appealing to adults as they are to children. There are books that I find beautiful that he tosses to the floor in disinterest, and there are books I find tedious that hold his attention. But the ones we come back to night after night are the ones we both enjoy. And that continue to get passed down through generations, like my old copy.
Things I’m enjoying:
Jumping back into the Empyrean series with Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros - a good holiday read
The Last of Us Season 2 - having to pace myself so as not to binge the whole thing in one.
Other places you can find my work:
If you’re based in London, I’ll be at Maple Road Market in Penge this Saturday - come and say hi!
My portfolio and past work is on my website
As always you can also support my work through my online shop
When I come across picture books from when I was little it's like stepping back into a magical world. How lovely you came across a place that held all the magic and wonder from your childhood!
What a great kitchen 🥰 I’m sure Helen Stephen’s used the kitchen from The Tiger Who Came to Tea as inspiration for her kitchen?
So lovely revisiting books we loved as children!