I was very touched by the wise and kindly words of Judith Kerr, author of so many delightful children’s books, as she contemplated death and old age: “I just wanted to say: Remember. Remember me. But do get on with your lives” (Mog author to publish Katinka’s Tail - 50 years after her first cat creation, 21 June).
I would like to assure Judith Kerr that she will certainly be well remembered in our cat-loving family. One powerful memory is of my mother, Margaret, a couple of days before she died, sitting on the sofa reading Mog books to my daughter Katherine, then nearly two. Kat’s other much-loved and doting grandmother, Ada, was a Jewish refugee from Berlin at the age of 14, much like Ms Kerr. There is a certain obligation not to forget the lives of such people, who were profoundly affected by the Holocaust, and it’s lovely to think that part of that process is entwined with memories of reading Mog stories or The Tiger Who Came To Tea. And who could forget the charming pictures, so lovingly crafted by Judith Kerr, so full of insight into the behavior of humans. And cats.
Giles Oakley
London
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