Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0763622702, Hardcover)
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.
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:19 -0400)
Comments: Mercy is the pet pig of the Watson's and they treat her just as if she was their child. One night as they are all sleeping in bed together, (Mercy is afraid of the dark) the bed starts to fall through the floor. The Watson's are stranded on the bed as it slowly sinks through the floor. Mercy jumps out of bed looking for her breakfast (or maybe to get help?) causing a rumpus as she goes and eventually the fire department is called out.
A delightful story! Really, I expected this to be fun but Mercy more than met my expectations. A really cute, funny story for up to about age 8 or 9. Perfect for children who can read but still need colourful pictures. The illustrations are wonderful! My son was especially taken by the facial expressions and laughed away with the story. My favourite character was Eugenia Lincoln, one of the elderly ladies who live next door, she believes pigs belong on farms. Ds liked her sister Baby Lincoln, simply because he couldn't get over the fact that an old lady was named Baby! Lots of fun. Don't let your kid's miss out on this series. (