Judith Kerr

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.