POPULAR children’s author Judith Kerr approved her latest book for release just days before she died last week.
The Curse of the School Rabbit is set for release on June 27 and is described as a “laugh-out-loud story of a boy, a rabbit, and a lot of bad luck” on Harper Collins website.
Kerr was a German-born British writer and illustrator whose family fled to Britain as refugees during the Second World War.
She created beautiful picture books such as The Mog series and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as well as acclaimed novels including the semi-autobiographical When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, which gives a child’s view of the Second World War and insight into Kerr’s own experience and feelings of the time.
Kerr died at her home on May 22 at the age of 95 following a short illness.
Messages from around the world recounting fond childhood memories of her books and how they affected people’s lives have flooded social media since her death.
Many grew up to the tales of Mog The Cat and also shed tears at Kerr’s unusual yet bold decision to kill off a beloved children’s book character.
The author’s natural and matter of fact approach to life seeped into her writing, which subsequently gave her readers a new outlook on their own lives.
In a 2002 interview with The Guardian, Kerr discussed her controversial decision to write Goodbye Mog and explained it in only a way she could have.
“But cats do die. And so do grandparents… I had no idea I was doing anything odd, I just thought this was the right sort of book.
“Because people do die, and you don’t lose them.
“But it wasn’t so much that I wanted to kill her off, as that I wanted to say something about dying and being remembered.”
To this day Kerr’s books remain a bedtime staple for children and parents around the world.
Her simple stories carry the weight of the most profound emotions and will continue to capture the imagination of generations to come.
For now, I will leave you with the words of Judith Kerr (published by The Guardian in 2002): “Remember. Remember me. But do get on with your lives”.
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