"The Hoys" by Kes Gray with illustrations by Mark Chambers is a picture book about a slightly confused pirate.

When Pirate Jake is greeted with ‘Ahoy!’ his response is to look around for the hoy. This sets him on a journey to seek out and find the mysterious hoys. Will Jake find what he is looking for?

We’ve all been confused by words, so while we can laugh at Jake, it’s completely in understanding. The story is funny and the illustrations are full of fun colorful things to look at.

All the pirates keep saying "Ahoy there" and Pirate Jake doesn't see a hoy anywhere. His parrot actually answers him instead of repeating everything he says. He finds hoys and has adventures. This book may be confusing for kids, since it was a bit confusing for me. Overall, it is a silly story.,

This is a sweet story about a very important question; where are all those hoys?
The story is interesting and the illustrations are filled with lovely details. An enjoyable read all in all.

It's pretty cute, the illustrations are fun. The Hoys are super creepy though! And I wasn't totally thrilled at the blatant "you can't be a pirate if you haven't seen a Hoy" dialogue that the story then proceeds to confirm.

It's a kids book about pirates though, so I'm not going to be too critical.

I kinda wish it had a better message of belonging despite having a different experience. The main character was super lonely and isolated until they did see a Hoy, even the sidekick parrot was in on it.

The Hoys is the perfect picture book for pirate fans who, like Pirate Jake, may also have wondered what exactly ‘Ahoy’ is!

When his friends shout ‘Ahoy There’ Pirate Jake is confused – what and where can he find hoys? After an unsuccessful search for hoys around the harbour Pirate Jake goes on a long walk along the beach. But after arguing with his parrot, he ends up at the bottom of a cliff where he discovers a set of strange shaped footprints…

Pirate Jake doesn’t feel that he fits in, he thinks that he can’t be a real pirate if he can’t see a hoy. He doesn’t even have a parrot who repeats what he says. But things change when Pirate Jake follows the footprints and discovers a secret cave in the cliffs.

The easy to read text is incorporated into Mark Chambers’ wonderfully bold and colourful illustrations which are full of pirate details like the ‘ARR Inn’, shipwrecks and treasure! Our favourite illustration is the opening spread – we love the house on the jetty with its wonky roofs and the pirate teddy bear on the washing line 🙂

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.

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.

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!

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

This book was creative, and I loved the illustrations! Filled with colorful landscapes and characters, I think children will love this book. I didn't quite understand the joke about the parrot, but I loved the hoys.

I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Play on words and pirates.

3.5 stars.

The plot of this picture book centres on the misunderstanding of 'ahoy', which is funny for readers, sniggering as clueless pirate Jake tries to find the elusive 'Hoy'.

The joke is on us however - when he finds one!

For me, it was a little flat, and I didn't really understand why Jake's parrot won't repeat his companions words, as good pirate parrots do, until he's sorted out just what 'a Hoy' is.

Not as instantly 'classic' as almost every other Kes Gray book I've devoured.

Great pictures though, and I'm sure children will find it very funny.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

My son who is 4 years old reviewed this book as he is the target audience. My son likes the pirate theme of the story but wasn't really sure what the boys were and why the pirate needed to find them. He liked the illustrations but the hot concept was lost on him.

This was a colourful and fun story with lovely illustrations that played on words in a way that children will delight in.

I quite liked this book. I think the illustrations are adorable. The story was very short, perfect fot little ones. I will for sure be giving this book to some kid that is obssesed with pirates.

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

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The best part of this little book, are the colorful, fun and very detailed illustrations. There’s so much to see!

The story is pretty simple, a pirate keeps looking for a hoy because his pirate friends keep calling ahoy to eachother. It’s funny at first but when he doesn’t find any, he feels miserable and like he will never be a real pirate. And his parrot doesn’t even repeat the words he says.. When they find some strange footprints which lead to a secret cave, an unexpected surprise follows. It makes him happy again :) and the ending that follows, was clever and satisfying.

A story that will make you smile!

My little boy is in Kindergarten. He had a hard time focusing on the story. He said he got tired of the same words over and over. I thought it was cute and it made me chuckle a few times.

Pirate Jake's pirate pals are always saying, "Ahoy there!" But . . . Pirate Jake has never seen a hoy. How can he be a real pirate if he can't see a hoy?

This is a lot of fun, though granted, it's kind of a one-joke premise. The illustrations by Mark A. Chambers really add to the story.

I suspect this would make for a popular summertime storytime read at libraries.

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