Oliver the Oyster Saves Santa

By: J.B. Auchter
Illustrated by: Ayan Mansoori
Publication Date: September 13, 2024
ISBN: 979-8336717792
Reviewed by: Diana Coyle
Review Date: October 1, 2024

In Oliver the Oyster Saves Santa by J.B. Auchter, Oliver the Oyster and his friends, Cathy the Crab, and Miriah the Mermaid are all excited because it’s Christmas Eve and Santa is on his way to deliver presents to everyone.

While having a sleepover together, they think they hear a loud noise outside. They decide to go see where it came from. They begin searching around to find the loud noise and in the process they overhear people talking nearby. They decide to hide behind some tall seagrass in hopes of catching a glimpse of who is making all this loud noise so late at night. When they hear and see who it is, they can’t believe their ears and eyes. Santa is stranded with his elves because they sustained damage to their sleigh while trying to come into Mayo Beach to deliver presents.

Unfortunately, there’s so much damage to his sleigh, they don’t know if the repairs will get done in time. So they all come up with a plan to get Santa back into his sleigh, in the quickest amount of time possible, while also delivering the Christmas presents to the people in Mayo Beach. But in order for them to achieve this goal, Oliver, Cathy, and Miriah must help Santa get the presents to everyone while he helps his elves fix the sleigh. What plan do Oliver, Cathy, and Miriah come up with to help Santa deliver his presents locally? Will the Christmas presents be delivered in time to save Christmas?

Readers of all ages will surely enjoy this next installment in the “Oliver the Oyster” series. We find Oliver, Cathy, and Miriah eagerly wanting to help Santa and his elves out, but they realize they don’t have Santa’s magical powers to get in and out of everyone’s house with grace and ease. So the three of them must come up with a creative plan to get the presents under the Christmas trees quickly and efficiently. As Oliver, Cathy, and Miriah develop a plan of action, even though it wasn’t going to be easy, children will learn that if you put your mind to something, no matter how complicated it might be, good things can come out of creativity, hard work, and working together as a team.

The illustrations provided by Ayan Mansoori were found scattered throughout this magical tale and were the perfect accompaniment to the written story. Each one was vibrantly colored, luring the readers deeper into the story as they eagerly turned the pages to see what the next delightful illustration would be. Each illustration allowed readers to feel as if they were another character in the story watching everything unfold before their eyes.

J.B. Auchter has this ongoing children’s series “Oliver the Oyster” set in the beautiful Cape Cod area. In each of his books, he cleverly intertwines seaside facts into his adventures to entertain, educate, and inspire his young readers. With his rich-in-detail writing style, readers will feel they are right there in Cape Cod as they go on the next adventure with Oliver the Oyster, Cathy the Crab, and Miriah the Mermaid. One notable fact worth mentioning is Auchter uses the proceeds from his book sales to support local charities, allowing him to give back to the community which has inspired his stories.

Quill says: Oliver the Oyster Saves Santa by J.B. Auchter is one book you shouldn’t miss. It is one in which will entertain and delight readers, both young and old. Plus, readers will relish the rich details describing the Cape Cod area as they turn each of the pages.

For more information on Oliver the Oyster Saves Santa, please visit the author’s website at: www.jbauchterbooks.com