Mercy Watson to the Rescue

Mercy Watson #1

by Kate DiCamillo, Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator)

A New York Times bestseller!
A Wall Street Journal 20 Best Children’s Books of the Past 20 Years Selection

From the one and only Kate DiCamillo comes an irresistible new hero for early chapter book readers, brightly captured with comic nostalgic flair by Chris Van Dusen.

To Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig – she's a porcine wonder. And to the portly and good-natured Mercy, the Watsons are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons' bed. BOOM! CRACK! As the bed and its occupants slowly sink through the floor, Mercy escapes in a flash – "to alert the fire department," her owners assure themselves. But could Mercy possibly have another emergency in mind – like a sudden craving for their neighbors' sugar cookies? Welcome to the wry and endearing world of Mercy Watson – an ebullient new character for early chapter-book readers in a series that's destined to be a classic.

Genres: Childrens, Chapter Books, Animals, Fiction, Picture Books, Humor, Middle Grade

68 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2005

About the author

Kate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.

Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."

Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.

Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with such whimsy and fun that one can almost hear it humming simply touching it. I almost expect the thing to glow it was filled with such frivolity and silliness.

A charming tale of a pig, Mercy, who lives with the Watson and in this story has to save her family. The art is all sunshine and smiles. I enjoyed this middle grade book.

Some light and happiness is a great way to start my day. Plus Kate is always an amazing author.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my goals this year is to showcase and review more children's literature here on GR as well as on my Booktube channel. I'm so excited to kick that off with Mercy Watson. This circulates so well at my library, but it's my first time ever reading it. This was both fun and exciting and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue is the first book in the Mercy Watson series and introduces readers to the Watson's and their pig Mercy. The story starts off relatively slow, but picks up rather quickly with Mercy supposedly saving the day. This is a great book for those that are transitioning to longer chapter books.

What Worked: The illustrations and the dialogue in this book were fun! Chris Van Dusen did an amazing job capturing the facial expressions of all the characters especially Eugenia Lincoln. She is a TRIP and is completely against the Watsons allowing a pig to live in their house. The overall tone of the story is hilarious because while the Watsons assume that Mercy is attempting to save the day, she's really just focused on getting a snack. It's a story of mishaps that quickly turns into everyone having a fun early morning.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read. I found myself laughing out loud at some points. There are definitely benefits to adding this one to your readaloud collection if you're an educator and/or caregiver. I'm excited to continue on with the series and the spin-off series that features other characters from Deckawoo Drive.

[Sierra Abrams · Rating 4 out of 5]

i had to read this twice to the kid i nanny. it had *chapters*. damn right i'm counting it toward my challenge.

also kate dicamillo is a queen. i recommend her to everyone. "despereaux" still makes me cry. read all the things!!!!

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After loving some of Kate DiCamillo's middle grade novels (as well as the wonderful Bink & Gollie series for kids), I thought I'd give this series a try. I'm not really big on anthropomorphized animals, especially if they talk. But I didn't have to worry about that here. Aside from a few human traits, Mercy is very much a pig. She does end up saving the day, but totally unintentionally; her mind is more on her stomach and playtime than it is on being a hero.

The pictures are really cute, almost with a quaint 1950s feel to them. There are plenty of them, too, breaking up the text into easy-to-read chunks. It shouldn't take an older reader too long to get through these books, but they'll be just the right length for beginning readers. I would've loved to have this series around when I was a kid.

If you can suspend disbelief around the basic premise (that of a couple who are raising a pig as their child) and just go with it, you'll probably find a lot to enjoy here. This would be a great book to read aloud, as well as a suitable book for kids who are just getting into reading chapter books themselves.

Quotable moment:

Eugenia ran toward Mercy.
Mercy's heart beat faster.
There was going to be a chase!
Mercy loved a chase.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old-fashioned story about one pig and the people who love her (plus the neighbors who do not). A bit too old-fashioned for my kids.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny story about a porcine wonder (and buttered toast)!

[Spencer Orey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kid loves this pig and her bizarre suburban world of neighbors and buttered toast.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mercy Watson is a "porcine wonder," according to her human parents. Mr. and Mrs. Watson love their pig, Mercy, as if she were an only child. Mrs. Watson even dreams (happily) about fixing Mercy her favorite food: hot buttered toast. So when Mercy's desire to sleep with Mr. and Mrs. Watson puts all three of them in peril, the Watsons believe that Mercy's escape is an attempt to find help.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue is a funny story about parents who think only the best about their children (porcine, in this case). The humor is accentuated by the fact that readers know both what the Watsons believe Mercy's intentions to be and what Mercy is actually thinking (hot buttered toast, always). The Mercy Watson series is an excellent transition between easy readers and chapter books. Like easy readers, it has a large font and pictures that give clues about the text. However, the vocabulary is more challenging than that of the earliest readers, there are some compound sentences, and it includes some difficult words (disappointment, unbelievable), as well as some that would not be in a child's everyday vocabulary (porcine, snuffled, recalled). Recommended for ages 6-8.

[Katherine Rue · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. My kids enjoy them (especially the buttered toast), but it's got a ridiculous amount of gender stereotypes.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate DiCamillo hits it out of the park with this new series about Mercy Watson, the porcine wonder. Her people genuinely love her and feed her lots of her favorite food -- toast with a great deal of butter. The next door neighbors are not so enthusiastic which lends a comedic element to our story. The illustrations by Chris Van Dusen are beautifully rendered and complement the story in a delightful way. New readers will feel a sense of accomplishment after finishing this toasty tale.

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 5 out of 5]

So precious! I just love Mercy! This was a library find via Hoopla. I have to read the whole series now! My kinda character. I like this author a lot too!! I highly recommend it.





Update: audiobook format July 6, 2022 :-) and reading for a challenge.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually our third or fourth reading. We read the whole set of 6 a few years ago so happy to find short chapter books at the library, but disappointed with the content. Then were gifted the first and second last year. I get the appeal of the short chapter book for young readers, and the simple silliness makes for a light and fun read.

However, I find them annoying. First, because the author refuses to use pronouns, making it a very wordy/tongue-tying read. I am sure this is on purpose and it adds to the voice, feel, and comedy of the books. (I wish I knew what this style is called!) But as I read it aloud, it just grates. Second, because it's so so so repetitive. For example, the pig ALWAYS ONLY wants hot buttered toast. In fact, all the characters are extremely one-dimensional. Again, I understand that this adds to the humor and simplicity, but I find it completely boring.

So many great ideas, but not a fit for me. My kids think they are ok, but don't particularly like them. I was surprised they just recently asked to read it again.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

Mercy Watson (the porcine wonder) and her lovely family are in a bad way when one day the bed they are all snuggled up in starts to crack through the floorboards. Share this illustrated early chapter book with your little one and find out what kind of rescue mission Mercy Watson is REALLY on. Enjoy this one now by checking out a copy on Mymcpl.org or searching for it on Overdrive! – Reviewed by Stephanie at MCPL Reading Rocket

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could see a beginning reader enjoying this! Not the greatest ever for a read-aloud, and might not necessarily be a parent’s favorite, but I guess not all books have to fit all of those purposes.

Easy, building-block sentences with a cute pig character and great illustrations - a good choice to hand over to your kid.

Ages: 5 - 8

[Cheryl Gladfelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun transitional book. I can see why kids really like Mercy. It doesn't hurt that Mercy and I have the same favorite food (hot buttered toast).

[readingwithjaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

First review with my new babies! I enjoyed this series as a kid so I thought they would too. 5 of them gave it one star lol so that brought down the rating a bit. Maybe they just wanted to cause drama.

“I like it because it’s funny. Eugenia didn’t have bread and toast.”

“It’s funny because Mercy was scribbling around.” (Scribbling? Does she mean running? lol)

“It was funny when the bed fell down”

“It was funny when the pig was running around”

“It was so funny when Eugenia didn’t like the pig and it did stay at the farm all day long”

“I liked when Eugenia didn’t even have bread and she was chasing the pig”

“I like when it was the baby at the end” (there was a preview of a new book at the end lol)

“I liked the part Mercy eat toast”

“I see a horse” (I don’t think this child understood what we were doing lol)

“I like it when everyone was eating toast and when Eugenia was catching Mercy”

“I love the ending and the baby”

“I liked Eugenia running around”

“I liked the bit when Eugenia was sleeping on the pig”

“I liked it when Mercy looked through the window”

“I love it when everyone was safe” (wholesome)

“I liked when Eugenia was chasing Mercy”

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this humorous 68-page chapter book, a playful toast-obsessed pet pig named Mercy saves the day when her antics with the neighbors result in the serendipitous arrival of the fire department.

Readers will no doubt be familiar with this author's fiction for older children, including the Newbery Medal-winning novel, The Tale of Despereaux . This first entry in a series of chapter books about a very special pig proves that DiCamillo's talents extend to writing for more than one age group. A fun, ligh-hearted read, recommended to beginning chapter-book readers.

[Jill Lesley Malinouskas-Negro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids loved these.

[Lauren Johnson]

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Mercy Watson chapter book series written by Kate DiCamillo. This text is the first in the series and readers are introduced to a pig named Mercy Watson. Mercy lives with a man and his wife, Mr and Mrs Watson. The reader is taken a delightful story of how Mercy loves hot buttery toast and the mishap that occurs when she jumps into bed with Mr and Mrs Watson. The story continues with Mercy running around in search of food. The readers are introduced to the Watson’s neighbors and two firemen who later come to the rescue. I have been reading the Mercy Watson series with my Kindergarteners and believe that it would be appropriate as a read aloud for students through second grade. I have used this as a read aloud with my students and found that because it is an adventure book it provides great opportunity to teach the parts of a story. I am always wowed when I read this story to my students at their level of engagement. I believe this is a result of the exciting and dramatic events that occur in the life of a pig. Because my students are so engaged with the story I am able to also focus on teaching comprehension skills through this text. Kate DiCamillo has done a phenomenal job of writing a story that is keeps readers on their toes yet can be comprehended and enjoyed by students kindergarten through second grade. This text opens up the conversation with students on how to incorporate dialogue in their own writing and how to include detail that helps to paint a picture of the events in the reader's’ mind since there are not many illustrations in this text. My students and I are both excited to continue the Mercy Watson series every afternoon as our special read aloud time.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am just going to copy and paste the same review across all these books... they are all the same.


I didn't really enjoy this but my kids love it. They are 4 and 2 and they happily sit through the entire book (which takes about 10-15minutes to read). It is lengthy and not all pages have pictures, but they snuggle up and enjoy it, so for that reason it gets 3-stars.

The writing is uninteresting and follows an obvious line for each story (Mercy the pig goes to bed, something bad happens, Mercy wants to eat buttered toast and somehow in her quest to eat toast she manages to save the day... and then everyone eats buttered toast at the end).

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I liked that the police officers save the parents. The floor broke and they were on a bed but it was falling. Grandma Georgina was chasing Mercy Watson and Baby was the other person who lived in the house, she was crying in her bed. Mercy Watson was shining through the window and Baby didn't have her glasses on and she though Mercy was a monster outside. That morning all the police officers, Mom Watson, Dad Watson, Baby and her Grandma were sitting at their table eating toast together because now they are friends." (Cadee, age 7)

[MummyCanYouRead · Rating 1 out of 5]

Banal uninteresting story and not even a chapter book in terms of storyline - just a simple and boring picture book arranged into short ‘chapters’. The story is completely banal and the language is unremarkable too with little interest or flow. No pleasure in reading this aloud, unfortunately.

If a child can read it themselves hey may find it more satisfying, but it’s not for us.

Also there’s a lot of glorified gluttony & ‘sweet treats’.

[Dylan | itsthelymanlibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a classic kids chapter book. You can read the entire thing in a sitting if you’re not careful. Eliot loved it and is excited for more. I did feel he didn’t understand the joke though. 😆

Reread with Annie. Eliot is now reading these on his own so I read it with Annie. It was very fun and we read it in a sitting. So sweet.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very funny book!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma loved this book. Perfect intro chapter book that I could read to her. Still has a lot of illustrations, but she loved to tell me what was going to happy by looking at the photos.

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my first-grade classes across two weeks of library time. Oh, they all loved it so much. You just can't miss with Kate DiCamillo.

[Milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was funny. I enjoyed it.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember loathing this series even as a kid. Maybe it's for some people, but I do think it's a bit overrated.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging story for an easy chapter book.

[rue mortensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this to my little brother today, and um, it was- interesting? at least he enjoyed it 😂