Not too repeat what everyone has already said, but I loved this series too. It's sweet, well developed, interesting and is just all around enjoyable. Great series for the kids too. Patapata Hikousen no Bouken rocks and anyone looking for something not overly intense should give it a shot!
I agree that it is similar in some respects to Future Boy Conan, but I'm not sure that it is all that Miyazaki influenced, at least not in terms of the style. It just doesn't have a Miyazaki feel to it, but the subject matter and characters I could see coming from Miyazaki. I don't know much about the creator though so someone with more expertise should throw in their two cents.