Early readers · ages 4–7
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
The strangest famous picture book in Britain.
The Tiger Who Came to Tea — written and illustrated by Judith Kerr. Ages 3–6.
A tiger eats everything in the house, drinks the water in the tap, and leaves. Nothing is explained.
It works because Sophie's mother just accepts it. No panic, no lesson — a very large impossible thing happens and tea carries on.
The catch — it's genuinely dated, and some children badly want to know why the tiger came. The book refuses to say.
Get the full guide: The Picture Book Years →
Cover: The Tiger Who Came to Tea · written and illustrated by Judith Kerr · HarperCollins Children's Books