We Are Wearing Out The Naughty Step

Poor Mum! Somebody's let the school hamster out of its cage and it's disappeared. Somebody fed forbidden food to the zoo elephants. And somebody won't eat their carrots.

It's not surprising the naughty step is scarcely ever empty. But the final straw comes when Mum discovers all the children (and the dog) with chocolatey mouths, guilty looks and her specially made cake destroyed.

'That's it. That's really it'. It's a wobbly moment, but baby Jimbo saves the day - and EVERYONE ends up on the naughty step.

The child narrator's voice is spot on, blending naivety and knowing innocence, and it counterpoints mum's unspoken (but beautifully illustrated!) frustration - and tangible desperation. A deceptively simple portrayal of the intensity of family life.