Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun picture book embraces imagination and time together.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In AHOY!, a child is setting up a ship on the rug where the parent is trying to vacuum and -- oh no! -- they have to get in the ship to avoid the sharks and hoist the sail! Their adventures take the crew on the high seas with nonstop danger, and the two have to navigate rough waters, a giant squid, and a boring phone call. They barely make it through all the danger on the carpet when a third shipmate opens the door to talk to the ship's crew.
Is It Any Good?
With colorful, absorbing illustrations that perfectly capture the feelings on the page, parents and kids are reminded to be in the moment with each other and to enjoy time together. Ahoy! starts with a situation most families can relate to: a parent trying to quickly clean up while a kid, in the very same space, is wanting to play. What's lovely here is their caring and communication, the give-and-take of the parent jumping into the kid's story and the kid's (mostly) patient waiting for a phone call to end. There's a simple joy on these pages and a wonderful message -- and the glossary of nautical terms will be fun when the words are inevitably sprinkled into a young reader's everyday conversations.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what adventures they like to pretend they're on, like the parent and child in Ahoy!. What could you turn your rug into? What kind of adventures do you like to go on, real or imaginary?
Who do you like to play with when you're pretending? Does it change depending on what you're pretending?
What other books have fun imaginary adventures?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Adventures
- Character Strengths : Communication
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Anne Schwartz Books
- Publication date : April 2, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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