Imagine your kid has a curious soul with a great deal of spur-of-the-moment ideas - as yours probably are. Many a kid will come up with activities beyond our comfort zone. An example is bringing a frog, a hamster, a goldfish, a dog, a cat and three kittens to your sister's wedding. At first glance it sounds silly, suited only to a weirdo's world. Not so. My daughter and I read about this idea in a children's book the other day.

Let's see how this idea ends up in Judith Kerr's When Willy Went to the Wedding . In this entertaining story, Willy didn't want his pets to miss his sister's wedding. No sooner did he finish the question "Shall I bring my pets to the wedding?" than Willy heard an intimidating "No." And there were not one, not two, but three big " No ."

"No," said Willy's father.

"No,' said Willy's mother.

"No," said Willy's grown-up sister.

The best part of this story is how another grown-up - the bride who was going to marry Willy's sister - answered Willy. "Better not, old chap," said the bride. "Your pets might not like it." I love his tone. My daughter and I read the story for the umpteenth time, each time marvelling at the bride's way of saying no. A graceful way of saying no that most grown-ups have forgotten.