Oliver and the Seawigs

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

by Philip Reeve, illustrated by Sarah McIntyre

Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 8+

Published by Oxford University Press, 2013

Adventure
Chapter books
Funny

About this book

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.

But Oliver's peaceful life at Deepwater Bay is soon interrupted when his parents mysteriously disappear. Teaming up with some unusual new friends - a grumpy albatross, a short-sighted mermaid, and a friendly island called Cliff - Oliver sets out to rescue them. But first he must defeat the evil Stacey De Lacey and his pesky army of sea monkeys...

Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre have joined forces to create a wonderfully wacky nautical tale. Lavishly illustrated throughout with McIntyre's superb illustrations, this beautifully-designed book is a feast for young imaginations. Packed with eccentric characters, exciting escapades and plenty of quirky humour, this fun and entertaining adventure will delight both boys and girls.

About the author

Philip Reeve was born and raised in Brighton, where he wrote his first story at the tender age of five about a spaceman called Spike and his dog Spook. He is a talented illustrator and writer, and he has illustrated several titles in the Horrible Histories series. Philip is best known for his multi award-winning Mortal Engines quartet, which won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award, and the Guardian Children's Book Award. Philip has also won the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal with Here Lies Arthur.

About the illustrator

Illustrator and writer Sarah McIntyre is easy to spot in her pointy glasses and hats. Her books include the comic Vern and Lettuce, four books with Philip Reeve, including Pugs of the Frozen North and Jinks & O'Hare Funfair Repair, and her picture books include There's a Shark in the Bath and Dinosaur Police. She loves creating books and comics with friends and getting inspired by batting around ideas and drawings with them.

Sarah is immensely proud of Britain's amazing illustrators and how well their pictures tell stories. In 2015, she set up the #PicturesMeanBusiness campaign, calling for people to credit illustrators for their work.

Sarah was our Writer in Residence from February to August 2017.

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @jabberworks.