The Tiger Who Came to Tea facts for kids
Front cover
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| Author | Judith Kerr |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's story |
| Published | 1968 |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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1968 |
The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a very popular children's storybook. It was written and illustrated by Judith Kerr and first published in 1968 by HarperCollins. The book is about a girl named Sophie and her mother. They have a surprise visitor: a friendly tiger who joins them for afternoon tea.
This tiger eats all their food and drinks everything in the house! Even after more than 50 years, the book is still loved by many. It has been turned into a play and a TV show. The original drawings for the book are kept at Seven Stories, a special center for children's books in the UK.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
The story begins with a little girl named Sophie and her mother. They are having tea in their kitchen. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. When they open the door, they find a big, friendly tiger standing there!
The tiger asks if he can join them for tea. Sophie and her mother say yes. The tiger then drinks all the tea. After that, he eats all the food in the house! He even drinks all the water from the taps.
After the tiger leaves, Sophie's father comes home. He suggests they all go out for a nice meal at a cafe. The next day, Sophie and her mother go shopping. They buy lots of food, including a big tin of tiger food. But the tiger never comes back to visit.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
Judith Kerr, the author, was born in Berlin, Germany. Her family had to leave Germany in 1933. This was before the Nazis came to power. Her father was in danger because he was against the Nazis.
Some people, like children's author Michael Rosen, think the tiger might represent this past danger. He suggests the tiger could be a symbol of something that could disrupt life and take everything away.
However, Judith Kerr herself said that the tiger was just a tiger. She said it had nothing to do with the Nazis. She first thought of the story after visiting a zoo with her three-year-old daughter. She told the story many times before turning it into a book. It took her a year to write and draw the book. The Tiger Who Came to Tea is one of the best-selling children's books ever.
Other Languages and Formats
This beloved book has been made available in different ways. It has been produced in Braille, which is a reading system for people who are blind.
The story has also been translated into several other languages:
- In German, it is called Ein Tiger kommt zum Tee.
- In Welsh, it is called Y Teigr a Ddaeth i De. In this version, Sophie's name is changed to Catrin.
- There is also a Japanese edition called "おちゃのじかんにきたとら".
- It has been translated into Hebrew, with the title ״Hatigris Sheba Lishtot Te”.
Stage Play Adaptation
The book has been turned into a stage play. David Wood wrote the music for the play. The first actors in the play included Devon Black, Alan Atkins, and Abbey Norman.
Television Show Adaptation
A TV show based on the book was shown in the UK. It aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve in 2019. Many famous actors lent their voices to the characters:
- David Walliams was the narrator.
- David Oyelowo voiced the tiger.
- Clara Ross was the voice of Sophie.
- Maria Darling voiced the boy from the grocery store.
- Tamsin Greig was Sophie's mother.
- Benedict Cumberbatch was Sophie's father.
- Paul Whitehouse voiced the milkman.
