Judith Kerr was born in Berlin, the daughter of a distinguished German writer. She left Germany with her family in 1933 to escape from the Nazis and they arrived in England in 1936, having spent the intervening years in Switzerland and France.She was married to the writer Nigel Kneale. Their daughter Tacy is an artist, and their son Matthew is an acclaimednovelist.In 2012, Judith was awarded an OBE for her services to children's literature and Holocaust education, and in 2016 she received the Booktrust Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kerr is one of the best authors a child of 3+ could encounter. The Times It's no surprise Judith's work is still popular. It owes nothing to the vagaries of style or fashion. Her warmth and humanity are timeless. Michael Foreman Praise for The Tiger Who Came to Tea: `Near perfection of form is embellished by clear, expressive illustrations. The pace is exactly right, the resolution totally satisfying.' Dorothy Butler, Babies Need Books. `A modern classic.' The Independent. `This book has enduring charm and young children will delight in the preposterous notion of a tiger creating mayhem in the house.' Junior Magazine Praise for Mog the Forgetful Cat: `Grandparents are likely to get as much fun out of seeing it again as the new generation of fans just learning to read!' Choice Magazine Praise for Goodbye Mog: `Kerr's warmth, humour and honesty make this an engaging introduction to a difficult topic.' Financial Times `Believable, amusing and moving.' Nursery World `A supremely sensitive story.' The Times Praise for One Night in the Zoo: `Lovely... uses soothing, pastel illustrations and exotic animals to make basic counting seem unintimidating.' Daily Telegraph