What to read after... The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Published on: 13 June 2023 Author: Dean Boddington

Some books end up etched in the memories of not just families and classes but entire generations. Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea is one of those classics.

At 55 it still earns new fans. It’s a brilliant read-aloud that I hope continues to live on for many years to come. But as a parent there are only so many times you can read a favourite before you need to accidentally lose it behind the bed... So, for those families looking for a new favourite to wear out, I recommend these.

Other timeless classics

As someone who reads all of the newest book releases, it is easy to forget the classics. Some are always best sellers, whilst others sometimes get forgotten.  Quentin Blake’s Mister Magnolia is a spectacular read-aloud that always goes down a storm, yet it’s not an over-read tale. Read it to find out about Mister Magnolia and his one boot...

Jill Murphy’s Five Minutes Peace is one of those books that has real sentimental nostalgia for me. Whenever I hear it, I’m transported back to 1990, to my reception classroom, hearing Mrs Bayes read this whilst wearing her knitted Elephant jumper. As a parent and teacher, I can definitely empathise with Mrs Large as she is desperate for 5 minutes peace!

Tiger Tales

Tigers are absolutely fascinating. Despite them doing very little when I spot them at zoos, I could still spend hours marvelling at their beauty and poise... Lizzy Stewart’s There’s a Tiger in the Garden is another spectacular book about a little girl who unexpectedly meets a tiger... Her grandma warns her that there is a tiger in her garden but Nora doesn’t believe her so she sets off to find out for herself!

Whilst not actuallya tiger, Karl Newson and Ross Collins’ I Am a Tiger is a real crowd pleaser! I have read the entire trilogy to many classes multiple times. The books follow a confused mouse as he tries to convince his friends that he is the eponymous animal from the title. Giggles will never run out when reading them!

Peter Brown’s Wild Robot is loved by many, but his tiger-based picture book Mr Tiger Goes Wild is a book that many adults will be able to connect with. Mr Tiger lives among a civilised town, but the responsibility of being sensible is wearing thin, so one day he decides to go WILD! What will the other animals think?

Food-Based Laughs

The tiger may have come for tea, but I’m sure he would have enjoyed Michelle Robinson’s award-winning Ten Fat Sausages for dinner! The sausages don’t like the way the story is going, so after hearing one pop, the others say “hang on a minute” and plot their escape, which unfortunately doesn’t always work...

Are all food-based books hilarious? Judging by these books, the answer must be YES! Clare Foges and Al Murphy’s Kitchen Disco doesn’t just get you giggling, it will have you dancing as you join in with the Kitchen Disco because everyone’s invited. The chorus will be stuck in your head for days!

Unexpected Visitors

The tiger was lucky enough to be given tea, but the character in Chris Naylor-Ballestros’ The Suitcase is treated with hostility when they arrive somewhere new. Hopefully the other animals will quickly learn some empathy and understanding. A beautifully simple story with an important message.

This could actually be in the classic section, but Nick Butterworth’s One Snowy Night will fill you with warmth as Percy the Park Keeper is greeted by multiple unexpected guests one night when it snows and he finds them all a cosy place to stay.

Bedtime Stories

Now I understand how children that love books will want hundreds of bedtime stories, but what about those perfect books that actually settle the children and get them ready for bed? Nicola O’Byrne has written the most brilliantly awe-inspiring bedtime story: The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin. Little Rabbit doesn’t want to go to sleep, the Dark tries to explain the importance of sleep but the rabbit is having none of it. A battle of wits follows and the rabbit (and hopefully your own little one) settles down to sleep...

More by Judith Kerr

Judith Kerr has written many super books and whilst The Tiger Who Came to Tea is my favourite, Mog the forgetful cat must be a close second. Judith’s humour and warmth shines through in all of her books and it is easy to see just how she became such an influential figure in children’s books!

Join in!

Those are some of our ideas – but what about you? What do you love reading? Let us know by tweeting us @BookTrust using the hashtag #WhatToReadAfter!

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Dean Boddington is an Assistant Headteacher, parent and Book Blogger. He creates a monthly reading newsletter – 'No Shelf Control' – as well as producing recommendation resources for schools. Check out his website and Facebook.