'Tis a bonny disgusting birthday celebration, it is! There must be something particularly enticing to children about the average pirate's lack of basic hygiene. How else to account for all the books containing rotten, stinky sailors? And none, let it be known, is any rottener or stinkier than Capt. Beastlie. When he's not flicking boogers the size of cabbages or rubbing buttered toast on his already jammy jacket, the captain is counting down the days until his birthday. In the background, his remarkably clean and attentive crew is busy making preparations for the big day. When it comes, the captain is surprised to learn that before he can start celebrating, he must submit to a big bubbly bath and a combing. And his gift? A brand-new, clean-as-a-whistle pirate suit and hat. All ends well. That is, until a giant glob of frosting lands on his impeccable attire.If grown-ups can stomach the gross-out factor, there's a lot to enjoy in Coats' sea-worthy language ("Scupper me sardines!") and funny story. Mould's acrylic art makes for a clever complement, racking up the ewws but never going too far. The book is beautifully (read: disgustingly) detailed on every page. If you're going to select only one revolting, repulsive pirate book, this is arrrr-guably the best. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Captain Beastlie has a hygiene problem: e.g., "'Only four days left till m'birthday!' he bellowed, rootling a glob of peanut butter out of his ear." For his present, his crew surprises him with a bath and new pirate duds. The book ends a bit too, well, cleanly, but the journey is droll, semi-gross fun, with craggy art that plays along. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Captain Beastlie is the dirtiest, messiest, and most pungent pirate afloat. His crew runs a neat and tidy ship, and they seem to love him despite his filthy habits and lack of personal hygiene. The captain stomps around his ship, leaving disgusting traces of himself on the pristine decks and sails, loudly counting down the five days until his birthday. On the big day, he wakes up all alone in an empty cabin. Upon emerging, he is ambushed and treated to a lovely bubble-bath scrub-down, hair and beard restyling, and, best of all, a spanking-clean new suit. Captain Beastlie is delightfully gross and gruff, and the vibrant cartoon illustrations provide additional humor through revolting details and a visual subplot revealing the crew's stealthy, behind-the-scenes party preparations. Seaworthy interjections and appropriate shipboard insults spice up the deft and witty narrative, keeping readers and listeners engaged. Perfect for reading aloud, this is a fun and worthy addition to the perennially popular preschool pirate canon.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2010 Booklist