"I quite fancy a pet - an African lion...or an octopus...or even a boa constrictor...The trouble is, Mum and Dad and Granny and Grandad all have objections to pets.

Grandad says that sheep are forever following you around; Dad says wolves give him a headache; and Mum says she'll cancel tea-time if I mention bats in the wardrobe again.

So I must try to find a pet that none of them will mind...What could I have?" Lauren Child's deliciously droll riddle of a text, accompanied by her own delightful and wacky illustrations, is sure to raise chuckles with grown-ups and children alike.

It includes teacher's notes and suggestions for lessons based on the story.