The Mum-Minder

The fragility of all kinds of domestic arrangements allied with a frighteningly honest exposure of just how demanding babies are, is crammed into this hectic story of what happens when the childminder goes sick. Sadie quite enjoys the babies her Mum looks after - at least some of the time - but when Mum gets flu Sadie finds herself coping with rather more than she likes. Sadie's child-eye narrative recounts the chaotic adventures in an amusing way, which is also tellingly revealing of the different Mums' attitudes to both child-minders and their own babies. Wilson's familiar mix of humour and insight is mostly well-conveyed by Sophie Aldred though the rather over-eager imitation of a childish voice sometimes grates.