The secrets behind your favourite children's books

The illustrators behind classic children's books have shared secrets about the novels they worked on as part of a charity auction.

Thirty-four illustrators, as well as some authors, have taken part in the First editions:redrawn project which will raise money for the House of Illustration.

Here is a peak at what is on offer in Monday's auction at Sotheby's.

The Tiger who Came to Tea

Judith Kerr, 1968

"The excellent Michael Rosen thinks that I subconsciously based the tiger on my fear of the Gestapo, but I don’t think one would snuggle the Gestapo – even subconsciously."

A Bear Called Paddington

"No one ever finds out how old Paddington is. He decides to stay around the age of 9 which he thinks is a nice age to be. He has no ambition to grow any older."

The Snowman

Raymond Briggs, 1978

"Building a snowman takes hours. An interviewer once asked me if we could build a snowman together so I could be photographed with it. He said it would only take us 20 MINUTES!. Blue and white striped pyjamas; pre-historic I’m told. For me, pyjamas have to be blue and white stripes otherwise they are no pyjamas."

Lost and Found

Oliver Jeffers, 2005

"This whole story is inspired by a real event where a kid on a school trip managed to kidnap a penguin from Belfast Zoo, and had to keep it in the bath overnight!

"I’m struck by how the penguin is everyone’s favourite character when he never does anything!"

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

"This is the only copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with specially added Vanilla Fudge."

Tracy Beaker

Jacqueline Wilson & Nick Sharratt, 1991

"Socks have featured in my career quite a lot. When Jacky and I first met, it was my dazzling yellow socks that helped convince her that this shy, rather reserved man might be actually be right to illustrate loud, outgoing Tracy.

"So those were the first illustrations I drew for Jaqueline. I thought at the time that the book would be a one-off… nearly a quarter of a century on and around fifty books later…

"Tracy would be in her 30s now – she’d probably have a little Tracy of her own!"

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