Captain Buckleboots on the Naughty Step
Author: Mark Sperring
Illustrator: Tom McLaughlin
Buy – Captain Buckleboots on the Naughty Step
When Sam sits on the Naughty Step he can’t draw or read a book or do anything else. The Naughty Step is the place where he gets sent to think about his naughty deed and what he can do to make amends. Normally he has the step all to himself, but one day the step creaks and he finds himself sharing it with a pirate who has been very naughty indeed.
Why was Captain Buckleboots on the naughty step? Wel he picked on someone smaller than himself, took something off that someone, hid that something and then said he didn’t know where it was! A couple of other characters also appear on the step and confess their naughty actions.
Sam tells Captain Buckleboots and the others about saying sorry. “If you really mean it you will always be forgiven.” A range of sorry solutions are put forward by the others, like sorry with a hug and sorry followed by a nice or helpful gesture.
However if you have been extra naughty a letter of apology might be needed to show you really do mean it.
Sam and Captain Buckleboots both write sorry notes and we end seeing Sam’s on the table as he cleans his drawing off the wall. This little story approaches ‘learning to say sorry’ with good humour that will be easily grasped by little people.
If you use the naughty step approach to discipline your child this will resonate well.
If not it is still encourages positive dialogue with children who are learning to understand the effects their actions have on others and how to make things feel better again.
Share This Book

Book details
- Paperback: 32 pages
- Publisher: Puffin
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0141329939
- ISBN-13: 978-0141329932
- Product Dimensions: 25.1 x 27.5 cm
- Age Range: 2-5 years
Mark lives with his partner and their son, Oliver on the Jurassic Coast where he grew up. They are almost entirely self-sufficient growing their own food and running their car on recycled chip oil. The idea for his book ‘Green’ came to Mark after reading an inspiring article about Maurice Sendak. Mark has written a number of books with different characters on ‘the naughty step’ and quite a few other fun titles.
Follow the link to find out more out this Author.
Read More