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Judith Kerr's Creatures
A lavishly illustrated retrospective in celebration of the 90th birthday of Judith Kerr, author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and many other iconic books.
Her story begins with the extraordinary events of her early childhood in Berlin, dramatically cut short by the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Party in 1933. Judith tells of her family’s struggles with language and money, and what it was like to be a German refugee in London during the war.
We see her early attempts at drawing and writing; her sketches and work from art school, and her textile designs from her first job. We hear of her life-changing meeting with her future husband, the scriptwriter Nigel Kneale, and her time at the BBC, first as a reader and then as a scriptwriter herself.
Judith’s career as a children’s book writer and illustrator began after she had children, and over forty years on she is still producing classic picture books. She is a rare and wonderful talent and this is a fascinating insight into the person behind the books that have been enjoyed by generations.
Her story begins with the extraordinary events of her early childhood in Berlin, dramatically cut short by the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Party in 1933. Judith tells of her family’s struggles with language and money, and what it was like to be a German refugee in London during the war.
We see her early attempts at drawing and writing; her sketches and work from art school, and her textile designs from her first job. We hear of her life-changing meeting with her future husband, the scriptwriter Nigel Kneale, and her time at the BBC, first as a reader and then as a scriptwriter herself.
Judith’s career as a children’s book writer and illustrator began after she had children, and over forty years on she is still producing classic picture books. She is a rare and wonderful talent and this is a fascinating insight into the person behind the books that have been enjoyed by generations.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Judith Kerr
116 books374 followersJudith Kerr was a German-born British writer and illustrator who has created both enduring picture books such as the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came To Tea and acclaimed novels for older children such as the autobiographical When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit which give a child's-eye view of the Second World War.
Kerr was born in Berlin but left Germany with her parents and her brother, Michael, in 1933, soon after the Nazis first came to power. They were forced to leave as her father, noted drama critic, journalist and screenwriter Alfred Kerr, had openly criticised the Nazis,who burned his books shortly after the family had fled Germany. They travelled first to Switzerland and then on into France, before finally settling in Britain, where Kerr has lived ever since. She subsequently became a naturalised British citizen.
Kerr was born in Berlin but left Germany with her parents and her brother, Michael, in 1933, soon after the Nazis first came to power. They were forced to leave as her father, noted drama critic, journalist and screenwriter Alfred Kerr, had openly criticised the Nazis,who burned his books shortly after the family had fled Germany. They travelled first to Switzerland and then on into France, before finally settling in Britain, where Kerr has lived ever since. She subsequently became a naturalised British citizen.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 23, 2019
After having read the third book in the Out of the Hitler Time trilogy I returned to this book I read many years ago to read some of the biographical detail. I enormously enjoyed the artwork in here in particular Judith's textile designs and early artwork. I am a huge fan of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit but was dissapointed when I finished the last book in the trilogy about many aspects. The biographical part of this book seems to say that Reading this makes me feel uncomfortable. With regards to Judith's mother's Hmmm, since reading the third book in the series about Judith's life I am left not knowing what is fact and what is fiction.
August 24, 2019
4-1/2 stars – a half star off mostly because so much I wanted to know was still left out.
I read this book fairly quickly, mostly because I borrowed it from my library via their LINK+ sister library system. These books have a $1 a day overdue fine and the patron is charged $115 if a book damaged or lost, and the book has to be returned to a librarian and not dropped in an outside or inside return bin. I’m nervous when I have these books checked out. I read them only when I’m home and return them as quickly as possible, but I did carefully read the book. I just spent more time reading than I normally would while I had it checked out.
It was particularly interesting to read this book after I read The Out of Hiller Time trilogy of autobiographical novels. Fascinating additional information. In a way this book satisfied me and in a way I want to know even more. I think I’d still read a great biography of Judith and her family members. Given that she died recently maybe someone will write a worthy one. Thanks to Goodreads friend Hilary for letting me know about this book and for sharing some of its pages with me when we were reading Kerr’s Out of Hitler Time trilogy together.
It was obvious that the trilogy of novels was heavily autobiographical. I appreciate this book for revealing some of what was non-fiction and some of what was fictionalized. In this book I saw that Judith’s real name was Anna, just like her main character in the novels. Kerr’s real given name at birth was Anna Judith Gertrud Helene Kerr.
Kerr and all her family members, her parents & brother, her husband & children (and grandchildren) are all fascinating people. They lived full lives, had many talents, knew notable people. I was fascinated that they knew such interesting people. I enjoyed reading about Judith and about those in her life. She did explain a lot I was curious about when I read her novels. I appreciated her insights about her parents and about how she decided chose to write autobiographical novels vs. strictly autobiography. It made sense and was pretty much what I’d assumed. I was happy to see that she seemed to be a good mother to her children.
I was gratified that she made clear she considered the third novel to be for an adult audience but given how I felt about that book I was surprised that her adult children liked the third novel the best of the three.
I loved reading about her writing process and her artistic process and seeing the progress on many pages.
I thoroughly enjoyed her sense of humor. She was so funny. I was amused many times while reading this book. The humorous parts and her sense of humor and how she was able to view things make the book extra good because she covers some serious topics in this book.
I have to say I loved this as an art book. It gets almost 5 stars from me for the art alone. The real Mog and a couple of her other cats were adorable. I even enjoyed rereading/reading and viewing large sections of a few of her picture books in this context. I appreciate all the included photographs, of family and of places.
I really liked this book and I know it was particularly rewarding because I’d recently finished reading her novels and had read and loved a few of her picture books. If I’d read this book without knowing who Judith Kerr was or not having read any of her books I suspect I would have liked it somewhat less than I did.
I read this book fairly quickly, mostly because I borrowed it from my library via their LINK+ sister library system. These books have a $1 a day overdue fine and the patron is charged $115 if a book damaged or lost, and the book has to be returned to a librarian and not dropped in an outside or inside return bin. I’m nervous when I have these books checked out. I read them only when I’m home and return them as quickly as possible, but I did carefully read the book. I just spent more time reading than I normally would while I had it checked out.
It was particularly interesting to read this book after I read The Out of Hiller Time trilogy of autobiographical novels. Fascinating additional information. In a way this book satisfied me and in a way I want to know even more. I think I’d still read a great biography of Judith and her family members. Given that she died recently maybe someone will write a worthy one. Thanks to Goodreads friend Hilary for letting me know about this book and for sharing some of its pages with me when we were reading Kerr’s Out of Hitler Time trilogy together.
It was obvious that the trilogy of novels was heavily autobiographical. I appreciate this book for revealing some of what was non-fiction and some of what was fictionalized. In this book I saw that Judith’s real name was Anna, just like her main character in the novels. Kerr’s real given name at birth was Anna Judith Gertrud Helene Kerr.
Kerr and all her family members, her parents & brother, her husband & children (and grandchildren) are all fascinating people. They lived full lives, had many talents, knew notable people. I was fascinated that they knew such interesting people. I enjoyed reading about Judith and about those in her life. She did explain a lot I was curious about when I read her novels. I appreciated her insights about her parents and about how she decided chose to write autobiographical novels vs. strictly autobiography. It made sense and was pretty much what I’d assumed. I was happy to see that she seemed to be a good mother to her children.
I was gratified that she made clear she considered the third novel to be for an adult audience but given how I felt about that book I was surprised that her adult children liked the third novel the best of the three.
I loved reading about her writing process and her artistic process and seeing the progress on many pages.
I thoroughly enjoyed her sense of humor. She was so funny. I was amused many times while reading this book. The humorous parts and her sense of humor and how she was able to view things make the book extra good because she covers some serious topics in this book.
I have to say I loved this as an art book. It gets almost 5 stars from me for the art alone. The real Mog and a couple of her other cats were adorable. I even enjoyed rereading/reading and viewing large sections of a few of her picture books in this context. I appreciate all the included photographs, of family and of places.
I really liked this book and I know it was particularly rewarding because I’d recently finished reading her novels and had read and loved a few of her picture books. If I’d read this book without knowing who Judith Kerr was or not having read any of her books I suspect I would have liked it somewhat less than I did.
September 22, 2013
Two of the three picture books I kept from my childhood, The Tiger who Came to Tea and Mog the Forgetful Cat, were by Judith Kerr (the third was Shirley Hughes's Dogger). Later I was fascinated by the semi-autobiographical When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, reading it over and over again, but it was a long time before I realised it was written by the same person as darling Mog.
Creatures is a beautiful book, full of nuggets for anyone interested in Kerr's work or in children's books, with lots of roughs and sketches to pore over. It's also the account of a strange, varied but overall happy life: along with her parents and brother, Judith fled Nazi Germany in 1933, living in Switzerland and France before moving to England where she settled. There are many barmy cats, described with great affection: the real life incidents behind Mog's crazy adventures. I smiled a lot, but be warned - there were also a couple of points where I was in floods of tears.
Creatures is a beautiful book, full of nuggets for anyone interested in Kerr's work or in children's books, with lots of roughs and sketches to pore over. It's also the account of a strange, varied but overall happy life: along with her parents and brother, Judith fled Nazi Germany in 1933, living in Switzerland and France before moving to England where she settled. There are many barmy cats, described with great affection: the real life incidents behind Mog's crazy adventures. I smiled a lot, but be warned - there were also a couple of points where I was in floods of tears.
January 1, 2023
I've wanted to read this book as an actual paper copy since I first saw a review for it and finally found it in my local library recently. Judith Kerr's autobiography is full of her drawings for the various books she wrote and illustrated including some textiles she did early in her career. As a bonus it includes the full texts and illustrations for
and
. The book covers the main events in her life, but mostly focus on her art and where she found some of the ideas for her books.
and
. The book covers the main events in her life, but mostly focus on her art and where she found some of the ideas for her books.
June 26, 2021
Zufällig war ich in einem Haushalt mit einer Papierausgabe des Buchs, was gut war, weil es gar kein E-Book gibt. Ich habe es parallel mit "Out of the Hitler Time" gelesen, ganz vorsichtig, um mich nicht zu spoilern, und die beiden ergänzen sich gut.
February 9, 2017
It's hard to define how beautiful a book this when you're typing a review in that thick haze you get after crying, but I shall. I shall try.
I love Judith Kerr. There are a handful of authors that I cling to in children's literature, like somebody who is drowning and in search of a lifebelt and Judith Kerr is one of them. She is my safe space, my shore. I have loved her from When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit through to Mog the Forgetful Cat and back again. And, whilst I am on this paragraph in which I confess my love, if you have not seen this documentary on Kerr and her work, give yourself an hour out and do so. It is a joy, she is a joy, and I love her.
Judith Kerr's Creatures functions as an autobiography, lavishly illustrated and holding many remarkable items relating to a remarkable life. It is graceful and self-effacing and a must for anybody interested in writing, illustration and the life behind books that become classics. Seeing some of Kerr's earlier work juxtaposed against the proofs of her later work is undefinably wonderful because it allows the reader to trace the development of a brilliant artist. Line, for example, is something I talk about a lot in picture books because you can do so much with such a simple thing. The thickness of it. The thinness. The direction. The boldness. The shape. Try it now, doodle a sad line, a happy line. I'll bet one curves down and one curves up and that, beyond it, you'll see the shape of a face tight and sad, or round and full of joy. That's line, that's the evocation of line and that's what we do with it as people. We fill it. We give it context. Kerr's line is a wonderful thing in that it is human and full of movement. There are sketches in this that sing of movement and of the ability to watch and study people. To find the shape of them, to find the bits that matter in the sketch and to capture that. What skill. What utter, hard-won, determined skill.
I love this book. I am rhapsodic over this book. I love how respectful it is, and how it does not belittle any of Kerr's remarkable achivements or skill, and how it treats them with the reverence they deserve. This is art and I shall fight you if you say otherwise, for this book is beautiful and we are privileged to have Kerr's work in our lives.
I love Judith Kerr. There are a handful of authors that I cling to in children's literature, like somebody who is drowning and in search of a lifebelt and Judith Kerr is one of them. She is my safe space, my shore. I have loved her from When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit through to Mog the Forgetful Cat and back again. And, whilst I am on this paragraph in which I confess my love, if you have not seen this documentary on Kerr and her work, give yourself an hour out and do so. It is a joy, she is a joy, and I love her.
Judith Kerr's Creatures functions as an autobiography, lavishly illustrated and holding many remarkable items relating to a remarkable life. It is graceful and self-effacing and a must for anybody interested in writing, illustration and the life behind books that become classics. Seeing some of Kerr's earlier work juxtaposed against the proofs of her later work is undefinably wonderful because it allows the reader to trace the development of a brilliant artist. Line, for example, is something I talk about a lot in picture books because you can do so much with such a simple thing. The thickness of it. The thinness. The direction. The boldness. The shape. Try it now, doodle a sad line, a happy line. I'll bet one curves down and one curves up and that, beyond it, you'll see the shape of a face tight and sad, or round and full of joy. That's line, that's the evocation of line and that's what we do with it as people. We fill it. We give it context. Kerr's line is a wonderful thing in that it is human and full of movement. There are sketches in this that sing of movement and of the ability to watch and study people. To find the shape of them, to find the bits that matter in the sketch and to capture that. What skill. What utter, hard-won, determined skill.
I love this book. I am rhapsodic over this book. I love how respectful it is, and how it does not belittle any of Kerr's remarkable achivements or skill, and how it treats them with the reverence they deserve. This is art and I shall fight you if you say otherwise, for this book is beautiful and we are privileged to have Kerr's work in our lives.
December 19, 2013
This was a lovely read about a favourite children's author. If you, or your child, has ever loved a Judith Kerr book, give this a read.
For some reason, the thing that surprised me was that she was married to Nigel Kneale (the creator and author of Quatermass among other things). As a SF fan, I knew about him. As a child reader and then mother I knew about her. I was completely unaware there was that connection between them. I certainly wasn't expecting to see a photo of the alien from Quatermass And The Pit showing up in a book all about Judith Kerr.
The book is filled with examples of Kerr's art, not just the children's illustration I had seen before, but also her drawings from childhood (that her mother brought with her when they fled Nazi Germany in 1933) and early career.
A lovely book.
(The copy I got from the library had some sections bound in the wrong order, which was rather confusing, but I managed to work it out. All the same, be aware that if this copy had that problem, others may as well.)
For some reason, the thing that surprised me was that she was married to Nigel Kneale (the creator and author of Quatermass among other things). As a SF fan, I knew about him. As a child reader and then mother I knew about her. I was completely unaware there was that connection between them. I certainly wasn't expecting to see a photo of the alien from Quatermass And The Pit showing up in a book all about Judith Kerr.
The book is filled with examples of Kerr's art, not just the children's illustration I had seen before, but also her drawings from childhood (that her mother brought with her when they fled Nazi Germany in 1933) and early career.
A lovely book.
(The copy I got from the library had some sections bound in the wrong order, which was rather confusing, but I managed to work it out. All the same, be aware that if this copy had that problem, others may as well.)
July 17, 2014
Here is a children's art book and a biography all rolled into one which celebrates children's author and illustrator, Judith Kerr's life and work. As a child, I simply adored Judith Kerr's picture books like the Mog series and The Tiger who came to tea. But after reading this book, I have fallen in love with Judith Kerr's picture books all over again. This is a WOW factor book that is well deserving of a 5 star rating!
July 16, 2017
i really enjoyed this! an interesting read and completely stunning illustrations; what a remarkable life she has lead!
January 23, 2025
This is the best Auto-Biography EVER. What a totally gorgeous book.
I love the beautiful illustrations, its full of beautiful full colour pictures throughout.
One of the first books I can remember reading was ' Mog the Forgetful Cat', and it's still a firm favourite. I also enjoyed 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea', but it was a long time before I got the connection that this was the same Author who wrote, 'Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'.
This auto-biograpghy is brilliant, as it shows Judith's work, from her earliest drawings, to her latest work, shows how she developed as an artist, and how and what she learnt. It also tells about different projects she has worked on, such as textiles, when she first started out, and she worked in Television, when it first started, which I didn't know, and how she got on the path of being an illustrator and Children's Author.
The book is full of the most fascintating and beautiful drawings and artwork in full colour, its a feast for the eyes, as well as a really enjoyable read. I loved this book, and will definitely read it again.
I love the beautiful illustrations, its full of beautiful full colour pictures throughout.
One of the first books I can remember reading was ' Mog the Forgetful Cat', and it's still a firm favourite. I also enjoyed 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea', but it was a long time before I got the connection that this was the same Author who wrote, 'Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'.
This auto-biograpghy is brilliant, as it shows Judith's work, from her earliest drawings, to her latest work, shows how she developed as an artist, and how and what she learnt. It also tells about different projects she has worked on, such as textiles, when she first started out, and she worked in Television, when it first started, which I didn't know, and how she got on the path of being an illustrator and Children's Author.
The book is full of the most fascintating and beautiful drawings and artwork in full colour, its a feast for the eyes, as well as a really enjoyable read. I loved this book, and will definitely read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2017
The inimitable Judith Kerr, author of many classic children's books, tells her own story in this beautifully produced volume. It's not a straightforward autobiography, but more of an illustrated life, tracing her family's escape from Nazi Germany to Switzerland, France and ultimately the U.K., life as a refugee, art school, her marriage to the the dramatist Nigel Kneale and her career as an author-illustrator. The book is copiously illustrated throughout, from miraculously preserved childhood sketches, to colourful designs from her first career as a fabric designer, to draft and final illustrations from most of her many children's books. It's fascinating to discover how so many of her books grew out of her own domestic life, and how the numerous cats she has owned have all contributed characteristics to Mog, the forgetful cat that features in so many of her books.
August 2, 2014
I saw Judith Kerr on TV about year ago talking about her life and I had to read this book. I've always been a fan of her books from childhood and particularly loved her trilogy about the 2nd world war.
This book is full of beautiful pictures that Judith has done herself throughout her career and from childhood. It also talks about her life and has funny anecdotes relating to her life and particularly her cats. It's amazing how much of the success of her career and life were due to coincidences and being in the right place at the right time.
A lovely book which anyone who likes Judith Kerr's work should read.
This book is full of beautiful pictures that Judith has done herself throughout her career and from childhood. It also talks about her life and has funny anecdotes relating to her life and particularly her cats. It's amazing how much of the success of her career and life were due to coincidences and being in the right place at the right time.
A lovely book which anyone who likes Judith Kerr's work should read.
November 6, 2016
I bought this book when Judith Kerr wrote it and I saw a programme about her life and works. It has sat by my armchair these three? years until today when I needed some "light" reading as I wasn't feeling well. I have read this book right through in one sitting, only stopping to order some of the children's books I do not have, for my grandchildren.
What an amazing lady and a lovely uplifting story. Definitely one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Brilliant book!
What an amazing lady and a lovely uplifting story. Definitely one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Brilliant book!
July 26, 2014
How could this ever be anything but exceptional? I am so honoured, excited and nervous to be meeting her two weeks tomorrow!
October 14, 2016
I did borrow this from the library to let my brain have a break, and to just look at the PRETTY PICTURES lovely illustrations, but stuck around a lot longer for Kerr's writing.
May 22, 2017
Such a beautiful and interesting book.
October 13, 2021
Illustration students should almost certainly look at this book, if not own it. It has so much of Judith's process inside, which is a fascinating look into the mechanics of picture book construction - from the seed of an idea (where do they come from?...Judith effortlessly shares her source of ideas) - to the technicalities of character drawings. There really is so much that is useful in here, for anyone who is interested in or embarking on their own career in illustration.
Judith's personal life is just as fascinating and it heartens the reader to know the struggles from whence she came - a real life triumph of good over evil - Judith dedicates her book to all of the Jewish children who were 'not as lucky as I was' - how lucky we all are that she was one of the holocaust survivors, for she has brought much joy to so many with her wonderful characters.
Judith's personal life is just as fascinating and it heartens the reader to know the struggles from whence she came - a real life triumph of good over evil - Judith dedicates her book to all of the Jewish children who were 'not as lucky as I was' - how lucky we all are that she was one of the holocaust survivors, for she has brought much joy to so many with her wonderful characters.
June 20, 2020
Beatifully illustrated 'Coffee Table' book from the creator of 'Mog the Forgetful Cat'. Judith's childhood as a Jewish child refugee was the basis for 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit', but this is her actual autobiography. This is so much more than an autobiography though. Two of her children's books (MTFC and The Tiger Who Came to Tea) are reproduced in full; many others are also represented. More significantly, it also abounds with illustrations from her childhood and art student days, as well as photographs and a fascinating 'work in progress' sequence. But of course, first and fourmost it is the story of a young Jewish girl who escaped from Germany and went on to become one of Britain's best loved childrens authors and illustrators.
April 13, 2024
Very interesting book and a brief overview of Judith Kerr's life. I didn't realise that she had moved from Germany during the war as a refugee. It was interesting to read about the events that lead up to creating her most popular books! A Tiger Who Came To Tea will always hold a special place in my heart from my childhood and also my daughters - we read it for 2 months straight at bed time!
August 20, 2018
Judith Kerr was a Jewish refugee from Germany who became an illustrator and writer of many books about Mog the cat among other titles. This book covers her back story and includes all sorts of drawings. Very interesting read.
December 21, 2022
Judith is incredible in every sense of the word. I have read this book over and over again since publication and it always makes me cry. Judith has a beautiful way with words and finds the light in every scenario. Thoroughly recommend - my favourite book of all time
March 20, 2022
An insightful retrospective written by the author and illustrator herself. Warm, wise and conversational in tone, I found it very difficult to put down.
February 26, 2014
Magnificent. Simply magnificent.
February 19, 2014
Ah, what a lovely lady. Creator of the legendary Mog and my joint-favourite tiger.
February 23, 2014
A really lovely read with all the illustrations a book to treasure.
April 25, 2016
A charming autobiography of a beloved author of many children's books.
January 7, 2018
The tiger who came to tea is one of my favourite children's picture book, and after hearing Judith Kerr speak at the Oxford Literary festival I really wanted to read this as she was so sweet and very funny.
The book is fascinating, full of illustrations from her life and stories about how she studied art and came to write her stories. It us gentle, interesting, and made me laugh aloud with her stories about various cats in her life who often inspired her Mog stories.
The book is fascinating, full of illustrations from her life and stories about how she studied art and came to write her stories. It us gentle, interesting, and made me laugh aloud with her stories about various cats in her life who often inspired her Mog stories.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews