Mercy Watson Is Missing!

Starred review from November 1, 2023
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* The latest and last installment (weep!) in DiCamillo's Tales from Deckawoo Drive series finds porcine wonder Mercy missing from home. The Watsons are devastated, and soon the entire neighborhood (sans Eugenia Lincoln, who composes a jig in delight) is searching for the errant piglet. Frank, Stella, and Baby Lincoln each have their own ideas about how best to locate Mercy, including hiring clueless private investigator Percival Smidgely, who is a dead ringer for Mr. Potatohead. Eventually all the characters from the earlier books make cameo appearances, each helping in their own way to find Mercy and bring closure to the series. Shorter interspersed chapters keep readers abreast of Mercy's current and ever-changing whereabouts, as well. As always, DiCamillo never lets her audience's age keep her from using (and subtly explaining) the perfect word: Eugenia exhibits schadenfreude at Mercy's apparent demise, and the smell of butter is ubiquitous in the Butter Barrel candy factory. Van Dusen's stylized, gouache artwork plays upon the story's inherent humor and quirky characters. At least one full-page illustration per chapter is rendered in color, with numerous smaller black-and-white drawings appearing on other spreads. A coda suggests that Percival and his intelligent pigeon, Polly, might return in their own series. Bring it on!HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: As the final book in the beloved Mercy Watson universe, this will lure fans like a certain pig sniffing out buttered toast.

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December 1, 2023

Gr 1-4-Mercy Watson has gone missing in this final book in the "Tales from Deckawoo Drive" series. All the characters are back: Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Baby and Eugenia Lincoln, Frank, Stella, and many more. Mr. and Mrs. Watson are devastated that their "porcine wonder" is missing, and they hire a local detective, Percival Smidgely, to find out where she is. Unbeknownst to them, this is Percival's first case as a private investigator. Stella and Frank are dubious about the detective's credentials and ability to solve the mystery, so they do their own sleuthing to find the missing pig. Van Dusen's familiar drawings capture the frolicking adventure in full-color and black-and-white illustrations. For young readers eager to stretch their vocabulary, there will be plenty of new words to discover, such as eclecticism, purported, exploits, and scintillating. Whether this is their first "Mercy Watson" book or their last, readers will be drawn into the mystery from page one and be eager to find out who discovers Mercy's whereabouts. VERDICT A delightful conclusion to this chapter series. Purchase where the other books in the series circulate well.-Heidi Dechief

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