Captain Beastlie’s Pirate Party

Captain Beastlie is exactly the kind of character young children love to hate, or should that be, hate to love? Whichever it is, this rip-roaring story of the thoroughly unsavoury Captain (in stark contrast to his immaculate and spotless crew) and his hilariously disgusting doings in the week prior to his birthday, culminating in a nearly disastrous big day has certainly been a resounding hit at every early years setting I’ve visited in the past few weeks. Loud EUGGGHHs, YUCKS and interjections of GROSS! have been heard at each and every story session  as well as frequent requests for re-readings. With such a bogey-picking and licking, pongy-socked, peanut butter globby-eared, fungal fingered, snifflingly whiffing, rotten shirted pirate what right minded child could resist his allure?

Despite the Captain’s missing clothes when he awakes on his birthday (the crew have disposed of them) and his unexpected scrub in the tub, courtesy of his men, the birthday ends surprisingly well with a now pleasantly fragrant Beastlie indulging in a huge spread of skull-shaped cake, sausages and much more and sporting brand new gear … oh CRUMBS! Captain.

Lucy Coats’ party invitation is one nobody will want to miss, certainly if they are between four and seven. There, they will be hugely entertained by Mould’s mucky scenes spattered liberally with all manner of stains and malodorous deposits.