Oliver and the Seawigs

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Oliver grew up in a family of explorers - but his biggest adventure is about to being!Along with his new friends, a grumpy old albatross, a short-sighted mermaid, and a friendly island called Cliff, Oliver goes off in search of his missing parents. But before he can put his rescue plan into action there's the evil Stacey de Lacey and an army of greasy, green sea monkeys to contend with . . .

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Horn Book Review

Ten-year-old Oliver's parents never returned from exploring an unusual archipelago of islands. He searches for them with help from a talking bird; a mermaid in need of spectacles; and a kind, sentient wandering island, encountering an army of sea monkeys and insult-spouting seaweed along the way. A joyous, original new adventure series filled with quirky characters, buoyant illustrations, and plenty of laughs. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Receiving help from a nearsighted mermaid and a self-propelling island with self-esteem issues, a young lad sets out to rescue his explorer parents.Having spent all 10 years of his life climbing mountains and exploring trackless jungles with his parents, Oliver Crisp is well-equipped to chase after the Thurlstone, an evil floating island that has added his mom and dad to its elaborate crown of sea wrack. It's one of the Rambling Isles, on its way to the Hallowed Shallows for the Night of the Seawigs, a celebration held every seven years to give the islands a chance to show off all the stuff they've collected. Fortunately, another peripatetic island, this one so mild-mannered it hasn't got a name, befriends Oliver. Together with Iris the mermaid and a sniffy albatross, Oliver and the newly named Cliff set out to get Oliver's parents back. Before the rescue can come off, though, Oliver must stand up to the smart-mouthed seaweed of the Sarcastic Sea, get past an army of green furred, hyperactive sea monkeys spilling "down the Thurlstone's face like a river of snot," and face like unusual challenges. McIntyre illustrates Reeve's sly and dashing tale with simply drawn cartoon monkeys (lots of monkeys) and other figures peeking in from the margins or tucking themselves between passages of text.Readers' ribs aren't the only ones that get a vigorous tickle in this aquatic escapade. (Fantasy. 8-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.