The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Thirty years on, what is there to say about this classic picture book in which Sophie and her mummy share their tea with an unexpected and very hungry feline guest, who eats all the food in the house, and drinks all the drink right down to the last drop of water in the tap? In this anniversary edition, Kerr's tiger is as velvety and appealing as ever, with his air of slight superiority and his marvellously sinuous tail. Modern adult readers may not be entirely comfortable with the image of mummy as the 'little woman' anxiously awaiting Daddy's return to solve the problem of what to have for supper, but the charm of this book is in the tiger's audacious thoroughness and Sophie's sensual enjoyment of him - not to mention the idea of not having a bath because a tiger has drunk all the water in the taps. In my experience this book - whose text is perfect for reading aloud - is much loved even by today's sophisticates. It is set to remain a firm favourite for a few more years yet.