Description
From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 3–Another action-packed escapade staring the porcine wonder. Every weekend, when Mr. Watson takes his pig for a ride in his pink convertible, Mercy must be cajoled out of the driver's seat with the promise of a tasty treat upon their return. One Saturday, their elderly neighbor, Baby Lincoln, stows away in the backseat. Man and pig speed happily along until Baby reveals her presence. Surprised, Mr. Watson takes his eyes off the road, and Mercy seizes her chance, jumps into his lap, and grabs the wheel. The vehicle zooms along, pursued by a police car. With Mr. Watson unable to reach the brake, it takes some heroics from Baby to save the day. Back at the house, the ever-serene Mrs. Watson manages to mollify everyone–including Baby's crotchety sister and the angry policeman–with a stack of hot buttered toast. Written with simple vocabulary and lots of repetition, the quick-paced narrative flows gracefully and is packed with amusing moments. The glossy, full-color gouache paintings provide visual clues to support the text and add greatly to the humor. The characters' facial expressions are laugh-out-loud funny, and the idealized 1950s setting strikes just the right tone of innocence. A fresh, fun-filled must-have for those looking to spiff up beginning-chapter-book collections. –Joy Fleishhacker , School Library Journal Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist PreS-Gr. 2. Mercy the pig, who proved herself a worthy child substitute in ercy Watson to the Rescue (2005), is up to her old tricks again. This time the self-absorbed, endearingly naughty Mercy brings many a child's dream to life: she squeezes herself onto Mr. Watson's lap and commandeers his beloved 1959 pink Caddy for a joyride. Van Dusen's larger-than-life characters and retro sensibility extend the dry humor of the situation, and his shiny, rainbow-bright gouache art shoots the energy, especially Mercy's, right off the page. Great for emergent readers. Stephanie Zvirin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved With power-charged vocabulary, unexpected twists and turns, and glossy cartoon artwork, this rollicking tale is fuel-injected with humor.—SLJ’s Curriculum ConnectionsThe rich vocabulary of the text, the retro look of the illustrations (including the pink 1959 Cadillac they drive), and the sheer fun of the tale will delight young children.—Childhood EducationFans of Mercy Watson will be happy to hear Kate DiCamillo has a new book in her series.—Detroit Free PressThe story is funny and the art is even funnier.—Advocate, The (Baton Rouge)DiCamillo underscores her incredible range with another Mercy Watson book, as silly and satisfying as the first.—San Francisco ChronicleCertain to surprise and delight young readers.—Working Mother MagazineVan Dusen’s larger-than-life characters and retro sensibility extend the dry humor of the situation, and his shiny, rainbow-bright gouache art shoots the energy, especially Mercy’s, right off the page. Great for emergent readers.—BooklistThe second installment in the 'Mercy Watson' series, this choice is certain to produce lots of smiles and laughter.—Syndicated Column - Kendal RautzhanA fresh, fun-filled must-have for those looking to spiff up beginning-chapter-book collections.—School Library JournalA spirited outing. . . . Chris Van Dusen’s spirited illustrations add to the unbridled fun.—Sacramento Bee From the Publisher The amiable Mercy Watson takes an automobile ride shex92ll never forget in the second tale of an ebullient first chapter-book series by Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen. Kate DiCamillo is the author of the first story about Mercy Watson, Mercy Watson to the Rescue . She is also the author of The Tale of Despereaux , which received the Newbery Medal; Because of Winn-Dixie , which received a Newbery Honor; The Tiger Rising , which was named a National Book Award Finalist, and the new middle-grade novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane . Chris Van Dusen is an author and illustrator of several picture books. He lives in Maine, USA. Read more
Features & Highlights
- The amiable Mercy Watson takes an automobile ride she'll never forget in the second tale of an ebullient first chapter-book series by Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen.
- Mr. and Mrs. Watson's porcine wonder, Mercy, loves nothing more than a ride in the car. It takes a fair amount of nudging and bribing and a "You are such a good sport, darling" to get the portly pig out of the driver's seat, but once the convertible is on the road, Mercy loves the feel of the wind tickling her ears and the sun on her snout. One day the Watsons' motoring ritual takes an unexpected turn, however, when their elderly neighbor Baby Lincoln pops up in the backseat in hopes of some "folly and adventure" – and in the chaos that ensues, an exuberant Mercy ends up behind the wheel! Soon there's a policeman on her tail, a struggle for the brake, and a blissfully airborne Mercy. Of course, it's nothing that an extra helping of buttered toast can't fix!
