Page 24 - Great Elizabethans

If you’ve ever heard a Mog story, or read The Tiger Who Came to Tea, you’ve enjoyed the work of Judith Kerr, whose funny, gentle picture books have delighted millions of children all around the world.
A CHILDHOOD ON THE MOVE
Judith was born Anne Judith Kerr in 1923, in Berlin, Germany’s elegant capital city. Her
parents, Alfred, a writer, and Julia, a musician, were clever and artistic. From when she was
very young, Judith loved to draw and paint. But Judith’s family were forced to leave Germany
when she was only nine. They were in danger – the Kerrs were Jewish, and Alfred had
criticised the Nazis, a political group who hated Jewish people. When Alfred heard that the Nazis were
about to take charge and he would be arrested, he fled to Switzerland, followed by Julia and the children. From Switzerland, they went to France, and eventually on to England, where they were safe at last from the
invading Nazis. (Judith would later write about what it was like to have to escape to a new country in her book When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.)
Judith and her brother, Michael, learned French and English easily. However, settling into new places was harder for their parents. As refugees, the Kerrs had to live in a hotel room, relying on charity and help from friends, without a proper home of their own. It was difficult for Alfred to find work, and he and Julia
missed their old life – but they had escaped the Nazis. Judith was always grateful that her family had found refuge in Britain. Although she felt like an outsider at times – she went to 10 different schools during her childhood – she still loved making quick, colourful sketches everywhere
she went. She was a huge perfectionist, though – sometimes she felt like she rubbed out more lines than she drew.
Over the years, Judith moved from using ink to crayons and coloured pencils in her drawings, which were easier to rub out!
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