View source for Boris Babysits by Sam Lloyd

{{infobox2
|title=Boris Babysits
|author=Sam Lloyd
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Join Boris the Monster as he has to look after Baby Monster in this part educational, part puerile and part puppet book.
|rating=4
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=12
|publisher=Templar Publishing
|date=July 2016
|isbn=9781783704156
|website=
|video=
|aznuk=1783704152
|aznus=1783704152
|cover=1783704152
}}

Leaving your child with someone for the first time is a daunting task for any new parent.  You want to pick someone for this task that you can trust; a sensible person who has some experience looking after a baby.  Perhaps a parent, sibling or a good friend?  The person that you are unlikely to pick is Boris.  Not only is he irresponsible, he also happens to be a monster. 

With Mummy Monster popping out for the day she leaves Baby Monster with Boris.  As a monster who likes to play, Boris is not that interested in babysitting, so it is up to the reader to make sure that things are ok.  Help Boris play with the baby, feed the baby and even clean up after her.  Perhaps Boris may even learn that looking after a baby is tiring work.

There are some brilliant ideas in Sam Lloyd's ''Boris Babysits''.  The Boris series are a popular collection of books that have Boris as a puppet in the middle of the book; you place your hand in his mouth to make him talk and get into mischief.  For ''Babysits'' things have been shaken up a little as it is the baby who is the puppet.  She is essentially a purple ball of fluff on a ribbon which is attached to the spine of the book.  You and Boris are tasked with moving her around the various elements in the story.  This is aided by both the book and the baby having Velcro elements so that she sits on the trampoline, potty, bath etc.

Grabbing the little puppet and sticking her down again is great fun, if a little chaotic.  Lloyd does a good job of creating a story that actually reflects many of the elements of looking after a baby; playing with them, feeding, nap time etc.  The story is essentially Boris having to learn and learn quickly.  For children with a mischievous streak they will like the fact that the book is a little naughty – there are accidents on the floor!  For children who are more interested in dolls or caring for babies, the book itself actually does this.  This means that the book can appeal to more than one child.

The clever nature of the book is only undermined a little by the haphazard nature of the illustrations.  As well as writing the story Lloyd illustrates and whilst the idea may be good, the execution is not quite as well realised.  The drawings are a little scruffy and loose, which could reflect Boris' character, but leave a little to be desired.  The font used is also a little squiffy, meaning that it is not the easiest text for an emerging reader to try and understand.

What you have in ''Boris Babysits'' is a great novelty interactive book let down slightly by its looks.  Thankfully, the idea of moving a purple fluffy monster baby around is plenty enough to entertain an older baby, or toddler.  With a little more care in the way Boris himself looks, when not in his own puppet form, this could have been a must buy.  As it is, the book is still great for any mischievous monster you may know yourself.       

There is more than one Boris in children's books [[Boris Saves the Show by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes]] and also more than one monster; [[Billy Monster's Daymare by Alan Durant and Ross Collins]]

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