Oliver and the Seawigs

Product Information

For as long as he can remember, Oliver has been travelling the world, having exciting adventures with his explorer parents. But he's actually quite pleased when they realise they are no longer any blank spaces left on the map to explore, and decide to head home to Deepwater Bay, where Oliver can have his own bedroom and go to school. My daughter is having trouble with the way reading is taught at her school. One method is taught there, while I taught her how to read before she started school using another method. This has caused a lot of confusion and some heavy self esteem issues for her. She doesn't feel "as smart" as the other kids because of her reading. This was so cute! We read it aloud after reading Cakes in Space by the same author, and I liked this one more, although my kids liked the former better. But still loved both. A delightfully told, beautiful tale, of nautical hairdressing, saltwater primates and sarcastic seaweed - this is my kind of book!" - Chris Riddell

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. No heroic quest is complete without obstacles. Just as Odysseus braved Sylla and Charybdis, Oliver stands tall against the insults of Sarcastic Seaweed and outlasts a swarming tide of sea monkeys. And, with the help of his new friends, the daring and brave Oliver confronts the evil giant island, The Thurlstone, and Stacey de Lacey, the piratical bully with a girlish name. The story is about Oliver Crisp, the son of two intrepid explorers who met on top of Mount Everest and haven't stopped exploring since. Naturally, Oliver wishes they could just live at home instead – home being the most exotic place imaginable to someone born and raised as an explorer. However, when his parents mysteriously vanish, Oliver is plunged into an adventure that takes him to a hidden sea world. Here he befriends a myopic mermaid, a talkative albatross, and a shy Rambling Isle. (Rambling Isles are giant stone beings who wander the oceans; they're often mistaken for islands, for they collect flotsam and wear it proudly on their heads, calling these collections "seawigs".) With a little help from his friends, Oliver navigates this acquatic realm, and finds his way to a resolution that cleverly reconciles home with exploration.Cute story! It's very creative and the illustrations are wonderful. It's nice to see an adventure story geared toward younger readers. I do think the vocabulary is probably fairly challenging for its intended age group, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing--just something to be aware of if you're recommending it for a reluctant reader. Overall, I recommend it!

We've chosen some of our favourite seaside-themed children’s books for all ages - which one is your favourite? Conveys big truths while being witty and playful...clever and moving’ - The Sunday Times on Fever Crumb 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.

Reviews

Stacey de Lacey’s face turned a dark shade of red. “Silence!” he shouted. “Stacey is one of those names that can be for a boy or a girl! Like Hilary! Or Leslie!” 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. This story is a hilarious account of the adventures encountered by Oliver, who goes on a quest in search of his lost parents who are Mad Explorers.