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Captain Beaky
Captain Beaky and his Band, which includes Timid Toad, Reckless Rat, Artful Owl and Batty Bat, takes pride of place in this book as they 'March through the woodland singing songs...'And the other animals that inhabit the woodlands where Beaky and his Band go marching are also well represented.. There is such as Blanche, a baby owl, Dennis the dormouse, Eloise the silkworm, the delightful ginger cat, 'in plimsolls and a paper hat' and many more to enjoy.Keith Michell provides delightful illustrations to accompany Jeremy Lloyd's amusing text.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
1 person is currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Lloyd
39 books5 followersJeremy Lloyd is an English writer, screenwriter, author and actor, best known as co-author and writer of several successful British sitcoms.
The gangly Lloyd began his career as a writer in 1958 before making his film debut 2 years later in 1960 in School for Scoundrels, and appeared in numerous film and television comedies during the 1960s and 1970s, notably Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as a regular performer in 1969-70. He was lauded in America where they loved his patrician upper class depiction of an Englishman. Back in England after one particular series had been completed he met Joanna Lumley. A decision had to be taken as to whether he return to America for the start of the new series or remain in the United Kingdom and marry Miss Lumley (he never returned to America). His first major success as a comedy writer was with Are You Being Served? in 1972, on which he worked with David Croft. He had worked for a short time for Simpsons of Piccadilly and many of the characters depicted are drawn from his recollections of his time there. They subsequently produced 'Allo 'Allo!, which was equally popular in the UK, a spinoff of Are You Being Served? , Grace & Favour was aired in 1992. Jeremy also wrote the poems/lyrics for the popular Captain Beaky album and books in 1980.
The gangly Lloyd began his career as a writer in 1958 before making his film debut 2 years later in 1960 in School for Scoundrels, and appeared in numerous film and television comedies during the 1960s and 1970s, notably Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as a regular performer in 1969-70. He was lauded in America where they loved his patrician upper class depiction of an Englishman. Back in England after one particular series had been completed he met Joanna Lumley. A decision had to be taken as to whether he return to America for the start of the new series or remain in the United Kingdom and marry Miss Lumley (he never returned to America). His first major success as a comedy writer was with Are You Being Served? in 1972, on which he worked with David Croft. He had worked for a short time for Simpsons of Piccadilly and many of the characters depicted are drawn from his recollections of his time there. They subsequently produced 'Allo 'Allo!, which was equally popular in the UK, a spinoff of Are You Being Served? , Grace & Favour was aired in 1992. Jeremy also wrote the poems/lyrics for the popular Captain Beaky album and books in 1980.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 20, 2017
The bravest animals in the land
Captain beaky and his band....
A song in the British hit parade. Yes it was Keith Michelle if I remember. 😄
Where is Captain Beaky now?
Captain beaky and his band....
A song in the British hit parade. Yes it was Keith Michelle if I remember. 😄
Where is Captain Beaky now?
December 31, 2016
I first became aware of Captain Beaky in 1980 when a single record by Keith Michell was released and it caught my daughter's fancy. We had to purchase it and it got played until it wore out. Fortunately there was also a long playing record with the Jeremy Lloyd poems sung by Michell, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers. Twiggy and the author himself - all set to music by Jim Parker. This luckily has not worn out so one can still hear the strains of
The bravest animals in the land
Are Captain Beaky and his band.
That's Timid Toad, Reckless Rat,
Artful Owl and Batty Bat,
March through the woodland
Singing songs
That tell how they have righted wrongs ...
ringing round the house!
And with that poem this book begins so we are quickly introduced to the band members plus Hissing Sid, 'an evil snake', who Captain Beaky discovers, 'Well I'm blowed, Hissing Sid has swallowed Toad'. Fortunately Toad is extricated from Sid once the Band discover where Sid's lair is and they all marched off down the road singing in praise of Timid Toad.
Then we meet Blanche, 'a baby owl perched bravely on a narrow branch', the Bumble Bee, 'in his brown and yellow sweater', Cyril the Centipede, who 'loved playing games, and his favourite one was football', Dennis the Dormouse, 'frightfully frail', Desmond the Duck, Eloise the Silkworm, whose sister was 'Sybil Silkworm', Claude the Crab, 'an anxious looking crab', and Dilys the Dachshund, who 'hated snow'.
Others include Peg the baby hen, a penniless French mouse called Jacques, Norman the zebra, who escaped from the zoo, George the giraffe, who used to wear a big scarf [not surprisingly], Harold the frog, who was rather lonely, Herbert the hedgehog, who lived on a hill, and my particular favourite The Ginger Cat, who always appeared in 'plimsolls and a paper hat'. The Ginger Cat was named Ben who, in a lengthy poem explains how he had 'nine lives and just spent ten'.
It is a most enjoyable book and is enhanced by Keith Michell's charming illustrations - and if one wants to sing along with the record, most of the words are here!
The bravest animals in the land
Are Captain Beaky and his band.
That's Timid Toad, Reckless Rat,
Artful Owl and Batty Bat,
March through the woodland
Singing songs
That tell how they have righted wrongs ...
ringing round the house!
And with that poem this book begins so we are quickly introduced to the band members plus Hissing Sid, 'an evil snake', who Captain Beaky discovers, 'Well I'm blowed, Hissing Sid has swallowed Toad'. Fortunately Toad is extricated from Sid once the Band discover where Sid's lair is and they all marched off down the road singing in praise of Timid Toad.
Then we meet Blanche, 'a baby owl perched bravely on a narrow branch', the Bumble Bee, 'in his brown and yellow sweater', Cyril the Centipede, who 'loved playing games, and his favourite one was football', Dennis the Dormouse, 'frightfully frail', Desmond the Duck, Eloise the Silkworm, whose sister was 'Sybil Silkworm', Claude the Crab, 'an anxious looking crab', and Dilys the Dachshund, who 'hated snow'.
Others include Peg the baby hen, a penniless French mouse called Jacques, Norman the zebra, who escaped from the zoo, George the giraffe, who used to wear a big scarf [not surprisingly], Harold the frog, who was rather lonely, Herbert the hedgehog, who lived on a hill, and my particular favourite The Ginger Cat, who always appeared in 'plimsolls and a paper hat'. The Ginger Cat was named Ben who, in a lengthy poem explains how he had 'nine lives and just spent ten'.
It is a most enjoyable book and is enhanced by Keith Michell's charming illustrations - and if one wants to sing along with the record, most of the words are here!
May 15, 2025
I've read this since I was a child with my dad and I treasure every second reading it and still love it years later. I would recommend to anyone as it's beautiful and every word feels special. My favourite has always been castle doom. I definitely recommend. Five stars immediately.
July 9, 2020
So so good! I had this as a child and it was one of my favourites. Hard to get hold of now, but brilliant!
December 31, 2021
Fantastically nostalgic but equally timeless. A beautiful blend of humorous poetry and contemporary illustration.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews