The wonderful writer, painter and illustrator Judith Kerr recently turned 90. But you knew that – it was impossible to avoid the celebratory editorial. It was everywhere!
A piece by Michel Rosen entitled ‘My Hero Judith Kerr‘ was a goodie.
And the pictorial tribute by The Guardian that I posted on the Little Lewes Facebook page was one of my favourites. It showed images from her new book, ‘Judith Kerr’s Creatures‘.
I’m adding to the thousands of cheers that this lady, whose pictures always transport me straight back to my childhood, so heartily deserves.
My own boys love The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the stories about Mog. The family scenarios and slightly naïve quality of the illustrations are enduringly charming.
I was at Bags of Books (again!) a couple of weeks ago buying our tickets for the Sarah Dyer event. There, in the Gift Books section, was ‘Judith Kerr’s Creatures’. I had to have a look.
Very beautifully, it tells the story of her life and work – starting with how, as a child, she and her family were forced to flee Nazi Germany and live in exile because of her father’s anti-Hitler writing.
Anna at Bags of Books kindly let me take some snaps of the cover and some of my favourite interior spreads. Here they are:
Once I’ve saved up my pocket money, I’ll be buying it.
I love that Judith Kerr dedicated it to: “the one and a half million Jewish children who didn’t have my luck, and all the pictures they might have painted”.
What a lady.
‘Judith Kerr’s Creatures’ is published by HarperCollins and is available to buy in hardback. It retails at Bags of Books for £25.
Little Lewes 