Tiger Who Came to Tea exhibition to open in Leicestershire

Judith Kerr was a refugee from Nazi Germany

An exhibition based on classic children's book The Tiger Who Came to Tea is due to open.

The show, based on Judith Kerr's beloved illustrated story - first published in 1968 - will run at Leicestershire's Charnwood Museum until 5 March.

It will feature illustrations from the collection of Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books.

Organisers described it as a "unique opportunity".

The exhibition will feature a reproduction of scenes from the story, such as the kitchen belonging to the book's main character, Sophie, where the Tiger wreaks havoc by eating all the food in the cupboards, drinking all the water in the taps and, notoriously, swigging all of Daddy's beer.

There will be a 4ft (1.2m) cuddly tiger, dressing up, puzzles and games.

The Tiger notoriously eats all of the family's tea before looking around the kitchen to see what else he can find

The exhibition also explores the childhood of Judith Kerr, who died in 2019 aged 95, and her experiences of having to escape Germany as Hitler came to power.

She and her family were refugees in Switzerland and then France, before finally settling in London in 1936.

Artwork from the book now features in Seven Stories' collection

Councillor Christine Radford, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for heritage, leisure and arts, said: "The Tiger Who Came to Tea has been a great favourite with children and adults alike in the more than 50 years since it was published.

"It's great that Charnwood Museum is able to play host to this wonderful exhibition, celebrating the story and hopefully introducing it to even more readers."

The Tiger is initially well-mannered before greed gets the better of him

Gillian Rennie, head of exhibitions at Seven Stories, which is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, said: "We're honoured to be the custodian of Judith Kerr's archive and privileged to be curator of an exhibition that celebrates her remarkable life and her outstanding contribution to children's literature.

"Visitors to Charnwood Museum will be treated to a unique opportunity to see reproductions of Judith's precious artwork, which shows how, through a lifetime of looking and drawing, her stories have become part of our nation's childhood."

Organisers say there is no requirement to book to attend the free exhibition at the museum, which is open from 10:00 - 15:00 GMT, Wednesday to Saturday.