This book made me laugh out loud! I love that the phrase “ahoy” has been turned into some tangible creature instead of just a phrase! The illustrations were fun and so was the story.

This is an adorable little children's book about a pirate who can't find "a hoy". Such a cute play on words. I found the illustrations were perfect and my kids wanted to stare at the pages long after the reading was done. My kids loved the artwork, words, and the story itself. Great for ages 3-7, boys or girls.

Highly recommend!

I read this to my daughter and she loved it! She really liked when he went exploring, and we both loved the pictures and thought they were beautiful! Super cute and I would recommend.
Thank you for allowing me to read this netgalley book in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a cute story that shows how important imagination is. The illustrations were great, and I loved how the parrot validated him being a true pirate. Great story!

The Hoys is a cute children's picture book. It is about a pirate who is confused when someone says "Ahoy!" He really wants to know what a hoy is. He goes on an adventure to find them and he eventually does.

This was a cute story. It was easy to follow along and I enjoyed the pirate aspect of it. I think a lot of children are fans of pirates so they will enjoy this story. The characters were unique and fun to follow. The pictures were very colorful and engaging. The pictures will keep children engaged and wanting to read the story. I think this story was unique and fun and a lot of kids will enjoy it!

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! I will be recommending this picture book to parents looking for a fun story for their kids.

There's something so delightful about children's-book pirates. I'd rather not meet one in real life, but the pirates of "The Hoys" are a cheerful bunch!

I picked this up because it reminded me a bit of "The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate", which my family read repeatedly when I was little. There don't appear to be any lady pirates here, unfortunately, but instead Pirate Jake goes looking for the elusive hoys. (What's a hoy, you ask? Well, who else did you think is being referred to when a pirate shouts "Ahoy there!"?)

Colorful illustrations keep things lively, and while some of the vocabulary will probably call for a parent's explanation, I've come to really appreciate picture books that are not in verse; without that constraint, the language is often much more interesting. Enjoy the story...and then don't be surprised if the next small child who reads it wants to hunt for some hoys in remote corners of the beach.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

I immediately wanted to read this just based on the author - my son loves the Oi books and "You're called what?". He's too old for picture books now but I wanted to read this anyway.

Pirate Jake can't find a hoy anywhere, but everyone keeps shouting "ahoy there" at him so he sets off to find one.

It was only when I read it through the second time that I noticed the hoy in the early pictures of the book.

This is a really lovely book and I'll be adding it to my list of books to buy when my daughter is old enough to enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliantly funny picture book featuring Pirate Jake who is looking everywhere for "A hoy". All the other pirates seem to find one but he just can't! He sets off to find a hoy with his parrot who never repeats what Jake says so he feels even less like a real pirate.

The story was funny and engaging and the illustrations complimented the story beautifully - each time you look at them you spot some new detail.

A great bedtime story that can be read over and over again, or would make a brilliant addition to a pirate topic in school.

The Hoys is a delightful story about a pirate looking for all of the “hoys” people keep shouting about! It is clever, funny and has a delightful twist that my kids loved. The art style is beautiful and we loved finding little details hidden in the artwork. If you have a child who loves pirates or humor, this is the book for you! This would be an excellent elementary class read-along that would make students belly laugh and incite choruses of “ahoy” for days to come.

I love this book, it made me smile.
Great concept, great illustrations, great layout. What's not to love? This would be great to read aloud too.

This is a very clever concept and a lot of fun. Perfect for kids who love pirates and an ideal book for library story time sessions.

Brilliant, though from Kes Gray, this is no great surprise. Pirate Jake hears the other pirates shouting "ahoy there" but he can't see a hoy anywhere and is worried this means he isn't a proper pirate. After having a bit of a strop about it all, he finds some footprints in the sand and follows them and eventually realises he's not such a bad pirate after all. This book is full of the sort of humour I love and I shall look forward to sharing it, especially reading it aloud.

Ahoy there! Where?

what a beautifully illustrated book. this is short and perfect, captures the imagination and includes a little lesson on patience. lovely book

A very fun story about a pirate trying to find an actual hoy after always hearing the other pirates say “Ahoy there!” The story introduces children to wordplay in a way they can understand. The illustrations are very well done and capture the attention of children who will no doubt also be looking for a hoy. A great book for young children!

Why have I never thought about what a hoy is? Why have I never wondered why to find them? If a pirate can't find a hoy, are they even a pirate?

An adorable story of the struggle one pirate goes through to find the hoys and thereby feel like a true pirate.

Though a silly tale perfect for children (recommend ages 3-7), this well written tale is full of fantastic vocabulary encouraging use of a variety of words most children would not have found in other books for this age group. The images in this story are rich and colorful, the pirates aren't only boys, and the imagination is engaged throughout.

Highly recommend!

The cutest pirate book! The illustrations are beautiful and cheery, my kids loved the story and laughed the whole way through. Definitely a must buy for any young pirate fan!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
On one sunny day in port, several pirates call out "Ahoy!" to one another. However, pirate Jake can't seem to understand what that means. As he takes a lonely walk along the beach with his parrot, who doesn't talk back, he sees footprints leading into a hidden cave. What's inside the mysterious cave? And will pirate Jake finally be able to understand the meaning of Ahoy?
It's a hilarious take on pirates and the words and phrases they use. Pirate Jake, who can't seem to understand the pirate language, meets a group of strange beings who teach him all sorts of things. The Hoys is a funny and heartwarming picture book that shows the reader the meaning behind pirate talk.

This book was so funny.
First of all I love the illustrations, they are really well done. The story made me laugh so hard, I love the idea of the Pirate looking for a creature and going on a quest to become a real Pirate. I have to say I did read this one to my son and he was intrigued with the Hoys, and is currently playing pirate.

What a cute concept of a book! Do you know what “A’Hoy there” actually means? Neither do I, but I can see my curious toddler asking me this! And what a cute response to be able to tell him. The book answers this in such a creative and entertaining way. We really enjoyed reading this book, and the illustrations were top notch. Definitely recommend especially to any pirate loving kiddo.

I teach kindergarten and I read this book to my class of 21 5 year olds. They loved it. Their favorite part was when he found the hoys. They loved the drawings of the hoys and that they were see-through. A few of them found the book a little bit scary when he was going into the cave. The illustrations are bright and engaging. The vocabulary in the book is challenging in places with some words requiring explanation but overall that did not take away from the enjoyment of the book. The kids gave it 5 stars!

This was a fun lighthearted book about puns and I loved it! I was cracking up reading it with my son.

A brilliant picture book which is full of humour. The book is full of excellent illustrations and characters to capture the imagination.

My little girl is just over the age of 2 - so a little under the age maybe recommended by the author.
I saw the beautiful cover though and requested on NetGalley.

My daughter was excited as we read through the book - she really enjoyed the different colours - I found The Hoys adorable!
Jake the Parrot was a beauty and I am sure my wee girl will be cawing for the rest of the night.

A nice, easy wee story with no grand meaning behind it.

Perfect for adventures!

5/5

A great kids book that would be very re-readable and perhaps become a family favourite. Pirate Jake is a colourful character who seems out of whack with his fellow pirates, getting confused when they all say 'ahoy there' to him. He can't see of find any hoys anywhere! But as he searches further, he ends up on an unexpected journey around the island, and discover something magical. Strong illustrations add to a great little story that's told in prose but has a lovely rhythm to it, and lots of fun wordplay that will keep kids and adults alike interested on the first read and all the ones afterwards. Recommended.

Miss M review: I think it was really funny and really fun, because I thought he was a bit silly the pirate with what he thought when other pirates said 'ahoy, there' to him, but in the end it was a really fun story with an interesting ending. I like the drawings and loved every single bit of it.

Wordplay, pirates and a cheeky parrot. What does it really take to be a pirate... well, you need to be able to spot a hoy, surely? For big pirate fans this one will land nicely as they'll spot the humour and what that parrot really should be doing. Lovely lyrical descriptions build atmosphere and the artwork is filled with delicious details.

I haven't been on #NetGalley in a while, and when I went, I stumbled upon the CUTEST of pictures books. "The Hoys" was written by Kes Gray and illustrated by Mark Chambers.

["Ahoy there! But what is a hoy, and why can Pirate Jake never see one?!

No matter how hard he looks, Jake cannot see the mysterious hoys he keeps hearing so much about.

How can he ever be a proper pirate if he can’t see a hoy? With his parrot on his shoulder, he walks gloomily across the sand dunes.

Until something quite unusual catches his eye."]

This book was so fun and quirky and goofy. They might be pirates, which all of the typical pirate-y garb and decoration, but they're friends and live together in a pirate port community.

The colors were bold and bright and inviting. The edges were soft and welcoming. The plants and flowers were beautiful and almost real in their animated wonder.

The story was about patience and exploration and wonder. It was about friendship and learning and imagination. I loved it!!

#thehoys #kesgray #markchambers #childrensbooks #picturebooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Hoys by Kes Gray is an adorable book about a little pirate trying to find the Hoys after hearing "ahoy!" I loved this cute little book! The illustrations were beautiful as well. Perfect for young children!

Fun and fabulous. I knew this would be good when I saw Kes Gray’’s name. A brilliant bit of pirate themed writing that will have kids enthralled, I loved every page and cannot wait to get a copy to share.

Such a cute little story about a very confused pirate trying to become a "real" pirate. I could easily imagine this being a nice addition to any child's library - especially if they have already showed an interest in pirats.