By Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Candlewick Press, 2005
Chapter book, 80 pages, ages 4-8
Mercy, Mr. and Mrs. Watson’s pet pig, loves hot buttered toast with a great deal of butter on it. She does not like the dark. So she crawls into bed with Mr. and Mrs. Watson. Two adult humans and one plump pig is just too much for the floor. It gives way and the bed almost crashes through the gaping hole.
With Mr. & Mrs. Watson teetering on the edge of peril, Mercy hops out of bed. To alert the fire department, Mr. Watson thinks, but Mercy has hot buttered toast on her mind…
An unabashedly absurd and utterly brilliant tale of a porcine wonder.
Mercy does save the day, in her own roundabout way, but not before plenty of laughs. How? What happens? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue, the first book in the Mercy Watson series, is a quick, easy read. Thoroughly entertaining, it would be a great book for a beginning reader. There are no overt lessons or morals to be taught; however, the excellent characterization can help young readers gain an understanding of human nature. Eugenia Lincoln’s behavior, acting as the antagonist, is a subtle cautionary tale of being too opinionated and unaccepting.
But even if kids don’t take away any lessons from Mercy Watson, this fun romp encourages a love of reading and promotes literacy.
I loved the madcap humor and brisk pacing in this story. Kate DiCamillo writes characters that jump off the page. Chris Van Dusen’s vibrant, retro illustrations breathe life into Mercy’s world. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue gets 5 stars from this reviewer.