She's the author of one of the most popular children's books of all time.
Judith Kerr is the writer of famous picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and now her archive of work is set to be on permanent display in Newcastle.
Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, already showcases a kitchen that inspired the much-loved tale. However, Arts Council England had granted approval for the Ouseburn museum to become the forever home of precious items belonging to the author.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 6, Seven Stories archivist Michael Geary, said: "Judith’s home kitchen was the inspiration for the illustrations in her best-selling story The Tiger Who Came to Tea – with the iconic yellow cabinets - and when she sadly died in 2019, her family donated the kitchen to Seven Stories so the public can visit and ‘have tea’ with the tiger in the original setting."
Kerr is regarded as one of the most successful children’s writers of the 20th century with more than 30 books including the Mog series and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. The Tiger Who Came to Tea was Kerr’s first publication, in 1968, said to be based on a story she used to tell her children when they were young.
Fans of Kerr's work will be able to visit Seven Stories to see the original artworks for her 32 books as part of the Judith Kerr Archive. Highlights of the collection include a sketchbook that documents the development of The Tiger Who Came to Tea in 1968 and finished artwork for Mog the Forgetful Cat, one of Kerr's most popular characters.
The archive also includes a childhood drawing of a street scene in Berlin from 1932 when Judith was about eight years old. The drawing was made not long before Judith and her family were forced to flee Berlin to escape the rise of the Nazi party.
Drawings made by Kerr during her childhood were carefully transported by her mother when the family fled to Switzerland, then France, and finally onto England during the Second World War.
Kerr's kitchen is on display at Seven Stories along with Kerr’s draft artwork and her published books for children to enjoy during their visit. The museum is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Wednesdays.
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