The Tiger Who Came To Tea. London: Harper Collins, 1968. First Edition. Small folio. Publisher’s pictorial paper boards. Head of spine lightly scuffed, minor shelf wear, otherwise a nice bright copy, without the dust jacket.

A rare first impression of the first edition hardback of this well-loved classic children’s book.

The Tiger who came to Tea was Judith Kerr’s first book. The work, published in 1968, has been read by several generations and tells the story of a tiger who invites himself to tea and eats and drinks all the food and water in Sophie’s house. He then leaves, never to return.

“It was just a bedtime story I made up for my daughter when she was two, getting on for three,” says Kerr, who also wrote and illustrated the Mog series of picture books.’ (Lucy Wallis, BBC interview with the author).