Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig (Mercy Watson Series #5)

by Kate DiCamillo, Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator)

Overview

Can Mercy Watson outwit . . . Animal Control? The porcine wonder’s on the lam in her latest tongue-in-snout adventure!

Eugenia and Baby Lincoln may live next door to a pig, but that doesn’t stop them from living a gracious life. And the amiable Mercy Watson is equally determined to follow the delightful scent (and delicious taste) of the pansies her thoughtful neighbors are planting to beautify their yard. "Where have all the flowers gone?" shouts Eugenia, who is finally ready to take extreme measures —- and dial Animal Control! Has Mercy’s swine song come at last? Or will her well-pampered instincts keep her in buttered toast?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763652319
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	02/08/2011
Series:	Mercy Watson Series , #5
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	5,513
Product dimensions:	8.12(w) x 6.40(h) x 0.32(d)
Lexile:	380L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kate DiCamillo is the author of the first four stories starring Mercy Watson. She is also the author of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, which won the Newbery Medal; BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, which received a Newbery Honor; THE TIGER RISING, a National Book Award Finalist; THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE, winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award; and the picture book GREAT JOY. She lives in Minneapolis.

Chris Van Dusen has illustrated all the books in the Mercy Watson series. He is also the author-illustrator of DOWN TO THE SEA WITH MR. MAGEE, A CAMPING SPREE WITH MR. MAGEE, and IF I BUILT A CAR. He lives in Camden, Maine.

Hometown:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date of Birth:

March 25, 1964

Place of Birth:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Education:

B.A. in English, University of Florida at Gainesville, 1987

Editorial Reviews

Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a pig and her name is Mercy. This cheerful chapter book for developing readers is the fifth in a series of books about Mercy, the domesticated pig, who finds herself in trouble frequently. In this humorous story, the Watson's neighbors become hysterical when they discover that Mercy has eaten their newly planted pansy plants. Animal control officer Francine Poulet is called in and she quickly realizes that to solve this problem she must think like a pig. Young readers will enjoy this funny, lighthearted story because they will be attracted to the bright, engaging illustrations that are brimming with detail and personality as well as the straightforward, simple text and the chapter book format. Adult reading partners will chuckle as they read lines such as "unmentionable horror" and "career expanding opportunity," and they will appreciate the whimsical illustrations that are vaguely reminiscent of scenes from the 1950s. This endearing story about an irascible but irresistible pig will charm young readers. They will undoubtedly clamor to read the entire series of books by this well-known author. Reviewer: Susan Borges

Children's Literature - Susan Borges

The title got me right away, because I honestly never thought about how a pig thinks. Two sisters move in the house next door to where Mercy the pig lives. These sisters plant beautiful flower gardens in both the front and back yards. Very happy with the way the back yard looks, the two sisters go to the front yard. Both scream because all the flowers are gone; when Mercy comes around the corner of the house with some pansy petals stuck to her mouth, the ladies know what happened. The pig ate them! Eugenia, one of the sisters, calls Animal Control to put an end to poor Mercy. The story then turns to how Animal Control Officer Francine Poulet finds Mercy. Of course to do this, she thinks she has to think like a pig. This gets her in trouble. The story takes yet another turn and has a wonderful ending. This is a great chapter book for young readers. There are many simple sentences and the vocabulary is basic, but with many words having both prefixes and suffixes. The author also introduces the occurrence of simultaneous events by using the words "meanwhile, back on the Watsons' patio…" This is a great book for children who want to begin reading chapter books. It is also a great read-aloud. The illustrations add much to the enjoyment of the story. Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs

Children's Literature - Kathie M. Josephs

Gr 2-4

In this installment, the porcine protagonist outrages the Lincoln sisters when she sneaks through their hedge and eats their newly planted pansies. Eugenia Lincoln calls animal control, and Officer Francine Poulet shows up determined to "think like a pig" and catch the culprit. Chaos ensues, and the porker escapes to enjoy another day of buttered toast. Fans of the series will welcome this addition to Mercy's adventures and be amused by the hyperbolic quality of Van Dusen's color illustrations.-Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Mercer Island Library, WA

School Library Journal

Mercy Watson, beloved porcine wonder, meets Francine Poulet, "the best animal control officer in the history of the world." When Mercy discovers freshly planted pansies next door, what can she do but eat them? Never mind that the pansies belong to the next-door neighbors, pig-loving Baby and her pig-hating sister, Eugenia. When the furious Eugenia sees the incriminating pansy petals on Mercy's chin, her anger gets the best of her and she reports Mercy to Animal Control. The officer, beak-nosed Poulet, is energized by the challenge of adding a new animal to her life capture list. DiCamillo's comic timing coupled with Van Dusen's familiar, over-the-top gouache depictions of the emotional Mercy and her caring, buttered-toast-bearing "parents" make this a welcome addition to the popular series. Fifteen very short action-packed chapters make this a fine step up for readers ready for a slightly more challenging read than Henry and Mudge. (Fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews