Author Kate DiCamillo is known for her many wonderful children's books -- Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, and Gollie and Bink-- to name a few. Mercy Watson is DiCamillo's first early reader series.
Mercy, "a porcine wonder," lives with her human parents, Mr and Mrs. Watson, who cherish (and spoil) her above all things. Mercy loves adventures and hot buttered toast. In each of the six books in this series, a new eccentric character is introduced -- next door neighbors Eugenia and Baby Lincoln, Officer Tomilello, Ned and Lorenzo-the firefighters, Francine Poulet-the animal control officer and --my favorite-- Leroy Ninker-a reformed criminal longing to be a cowboy. Mercy manages to create all kinds of trouble in each book, but all ends well back at the Watson home with lots of hot buttered toast for everyone.
Illustrator Chris VanDusen does amazing colorful, eye-catching illustrations that make every page come alive. The zany antics of the characters brought to life will greatly appeal to young readers. The pairing between DiCamillo and VanDusen is brilliant! The audio versions of these books are wonderful for the car and appropriate for ages four and up.
Check out the fantastic Mercy Watson website to learn more about the creators of the Mercy Watson books, read about the different characters in the Mercy Watson series, and play some Mercy games! http://www.mercywatson.com/
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride. By Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick Press, 2006.
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