This went on longer than I intended but for when you want to be the cool mom/dad/aunt/uncle; for the moments when you just want to read and not be disappointed; or for that time when you just want to see the word “monkey-handled”… this does the job wonderfully. This first 'Not-So-Impossible Tale' from Reeve and McIntyre is so much fun! Oliver and the Seawigs combines a laugh-out-loud funny story with illustrations that perfectly complement the text, a format that is both engaging and non-threatening to beginning readers. The recommended age range for this title is 4 to 8, but I think it's best suited for strong beginning readers (1st/2nd grade) and slightly older, reluctant and struggling readers... though I imagine a 4 year old with a taste for adventure and a healthy attention span would enjoy this one as a read-aloud. That said, some of the humor might be a bit over their heads; for example, the Sargasso Sea becomes the Sarcastic Sea, full of droll, sarcastic seaweed that constantly pokes fun at Oliver and his new found friends - potentially still funny for a young listener, but more so for the adult reader!

In addition to finding his parents, Oliver is out to help poor Cliff win The Night of the Seawigs, a competition between the Rambling Isles who wander the seas collecting interesting objects to wear like crowns, or rather, wigs atop their heads. Happily, Oliver and his motley band of outcasts discover that even their perceived weaknesses can be strengths. And that there is no better prize than good friends. No, this is a completely different place," said Iris. "It's called the Sarcastic Sea, and sailors fear it because the weed keeps making horrid, hurtful comments about them.'"

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It's a cute little book that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman's FORTUNATELY THE MILK. There are some really clever elements, such as how the island's guts work. And even writing for a younger audience, Reeve knows how to turn a phrase. OLIVER AND THE SEAWIGS is independent reader friendly, but not too simple.

But the bare bones of the story hardly do justice to the experience of reading this book. Its appeal lies in its details, which show an irrepressible imagination, much like that of a wide-eyed child explorer who can't help looking at the world and wondering "what if … ?" The Rambling Isles are a fabulous creation, and while the concept strongly recalls the ambulant cities of Mortal Engines, it's played in a lighter key here. Comedy, puns and wordplay are threaded through the story, as when Oliver names the Rambling Isle "Cliff". Oliver-nimisen jampan vanhemmat ovat kuuluisia tutkimusmatkailijoita, jotka ovat yhdessä kolunneet kaikki maailman kartoittamattomat kolkat ja kokeneet yhdessä hurjia seikkailuja. Poikaansa he ovat kuljettaneet mukanaan. Viimein perhe on kuitenkin päättänyt asettua aloilleen ja muuttaa mukavaan meren rannalla sijaitsevaan taloon. Oliver on riemuissaan, pääseehän hän viimeinkin kouluun, mutta vanhempia tuntuu vähän harmittavan. No niin. "Oliver ja meriperuukit" on kaikessa älyvapaudessaan ihan vekkuli seikkailu, jolle Sarah McIntyren ilmeikäs kuvitus antaa tarinalle mukavasti lisäpotkua. Eihän tämä nyt ole yhtä hyvä kuin Kävelevät koneet tai Buster Bayliss -sarja, mutta kelpo lastenromaani nyt kuitenkin! Philip Reeve’s Oliver and the Seawigs is an endearingly idiosyncratic tale that, together with the whimsical three-color illustrations of Sarah McIntyre, will capture the imaginations of intermediate readers ready to venture out from early chapter books into more challenging waters. (Since this is the start of a series, further fantastical journeys await! Next up: Cakes in Space !) So for whatever divine or voodoo reason I got pre-approved for this, I'm just so happy I have now found the genre where I cannot bring myself to complain about anything seeing as I’m too busy having fun.Englantilainen Philip Reeve on murtautunut mainioilla teoksillaan omien suosikkieni joukkoon lasten- ja nuortenkirjallisuuden sarjassa, ja niinpä päätin tarttua myös miehen uusimpien suomennosten joukkoon kuuluvaan kirjaan "Oliver ja meriperuukit" (Aurinko, 2017).

The eponymous Oliver is a young boy who travels the world (reluctantly) with his explorer parents. One day he wakes up to find them missing. It turns out he is on a Rambling Island, one that moved away while Mr. and Mrs. Crisp were exploring. Oliver gets to know the island, called Cliff, and a near-sighted mermaid named Iris. Together, the three try to create a magnificent seawig for Cliff. The Rambling Islands have an annual competition for who can have the best seawig. Unfortunately, a meaner island, populated by monkeys and a boy named Stacey de Lacey, doesn't plan to play fair. The book is about a boy, Oliver, who grows up with parents who are adventurers. He's excited because they've finally adventured the world enough to have seen all they wanted to see, and are about to settle down and live in a house (with beds!) and he can finally go to school (for the first time). Oliver's pretty darn excited when they arrive. But, as his parents go off to explore the surrounding islands, something happens. They don't return. Oliver goes in search of them and, as you can imagine, an adventure ensues.The wander in search of items for Cliff's sea wig so that Cliff can win the sea-wig competition and hopefully find Oliver's parents.

Tapahtumat käynnistyvät, kun Oliver ja hänen tutkimusmatkailijavanhempansa päättävät asettua aloilleen. Paha kyllä, heidän talonsa sijaitsee poukamassa, johon on kokoontunut joukko vaeltelevia saaria. Vaeltelevia, kartoittamattomia saaria! Pian vanhemmat ovat jo tiessään yhden saaren mukana ja Oliver päättää seurata heitä toisella, sillä eihän aloilleen asettuminen ilman vanhempia tuntuu haljulta. Review Copy Courtesy of Random House for Young Readers (THANK YOU!!!). Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof.Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments