Marge in Charge and the Stolen Treasure

Isla Fisher's Marge in Charge and the Stolen Treasure is a very silly babysitter book for 6 year olds, with three stories and one tiny duchess in charge.

What happens

Jemima Button tells the stories, and she'll tell you straight away that Marge is not a boring babysitter. Marge is about as tall as seven packets of biscuits stacked up. She says she grew up in a palace. And when the grown-ups have gone, she whips off her hat and out tumbles her rainbow hair!

It's the second Marge book, but you don't need the first to jump in.

In the first story the Buttons' baby cousin Zara comes to stay. Jemima and her little brother Jakey know the truth about Zara. She looks like an angel and behaves like a pirate. She bites the list of rules, throws her bottle across the garden, escapes down the hall and topples Jemima's castle.

So Marge brings out her Pirate Code. Babies are pirates at heart, she says. They love shiny things, they take other people's stuff and they drink from bottles all day. Who could argue with that?

The second story is an expedition to the swimming pool. There's a map with glitter on it, lemonade in a flower vase and a pug who gets pulled along in the wagon. Marge persuades Jakey that sunscreen scares off tigers. And while she does an enormous cannonball to distract everyone, Jemima finally dives off the diving board!

The last story takes them to a big wedding, and you can probably guess how calm that stays with Marge around.

It's the kind of book that makes small children feel very wise. Jemima knows Zara is being naughty long before the grown-ups do. And Marge's wild stories (an albino water buffalo with insomnia, a ship full of pirate babies) are exactly the sort of nonsense that has little ones giggling at bedtime.

There's a lovely warmth under all the chaos too. Even Jakey, who swore he'd never forgive Zara, starts to soften (and that's saying something).

It's the American edition, so you'll meet Mommy, diapers and Popsicles rather than Mum, nappies and ice lollies.

What to read next

If they love the Button family, Marge in Charge and the Missing Orangutan has more of Jemima, Jakey and Archie the pug, starting with a wobbly tooth that simply refuses to come out.