The Tiger
Who Came to Tea has been a firm favourite in our house since The Princess
discovered the book at nursery, four years ago.We bought her a copy which is now shared between herself and her little
brother (although, of course, The Pickle would argue it is most definitely
his).It’s not difficult to see why it
has become one of the best-selling picture books of all time and sold over 4
million copies worldwide.
Now the
author, Judith Kerr, has written an exciting new book, My Henry, published by Harper Collins Children's Books, which looks as
if it will be just as popular.
The lady
featured in the story has lost her husband, but her imagination lets their
marriage continue and they go on all sorts of wonderful adventures.They do all the fun things they weren’t able to
do in everyday life, such as ride on a dinosaur and swim with mermaids, but she
also recalls the ‘normal’ things they did and remembers how nice their life
together was.
I would say
the book is suitable for children of any age – little ones will enjoy looking
at the pictures and being read to, while older ones can read it by themselves
and understand it more.The Princess
(aged 6) is a confident reader and really enjoyed the story.She found bits funny, such as when they water
ski behind a dolphin and she loved the beautiful illustrations. The book
would be ideal to read with a child who has lost a family member, or even a
much loved pet, to help explain the concept of death in the least frightening
way possible.
“Henry has
turned into an angel. I like the page
where he and the lady have a jungle feast.
I love the front cover because it is pink and has a unicorn, the unicorn
has very colourful wings”.
