A Piglet Named Mercy

Mr. and Mrs. Watson live on Deckawoo Drive, quite an ordinary place. Everything they do is pretty ordinary until one night something very unusual happens. A truck transporting a load of pigs drives by and hits a rock, causing a piglet to bounce out of the truck right in front of the Watsons’ house on Deckawoo Drive. The next morning, Mr. Watson discovers the piglet when he opens the door to get the newspaper. Their neighbor, Eugenia Lincoln, sees the piglet and lets the Watsons know she does not approve, but her younger sister, Baby Lincoln, certainly does and brings warm milk for the piglet. The Watsons name her Mercy, and she becomes an extraordinary part of their no-longer ordinary lives.

For those who have read and enjoyed Kate DiCamillo’s wonderful Mercy Watson books for early elementary readers, this will be a welcome introduction for even younger readers. The story is fun and a bit unusual for a picture book as all the characters are adults except for Mercy. Chris Van Dusen’s charming illustrations are chock full of cute details to support the sweet story of Mercy’s arrival. This book will have staying power with the youngest of listeners.