313. Mercy Watson Is Missing

Mercy Watson Is Missing (Tales from Deckawoo Drive #7) Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 2023. [December] 176 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence from prologue: The office of Percival Smidgely, PI, was situated on the third floor of the historic Blinkhopp Building in downtown Gizzford.

First sentence from chapter one: On a bright morning in early autumn, Mercy Watson went missing. 

Premise/plot: Mercy Watson, everyone's MOST FAVORITE PIG, is completely missing. Can the community come together--with or without the help of the 'official' private investigator'--to find Mercy? What could this butter-loving pig be up to? 

My thoughts: I love Kate DiCamillo. Some I love, love, love. Some I merely love. A few I've merely liked. But without a doubt she can create memorable characters and craft great narratives that are engaging for readers of varied ages. I enjoyed this one so much. It is possible I would have loved it even more if I'd taken the time to reread ALL the Mercy Watson books and the Tales of Deckawoo Drive. She has brought all the characters from previous books into this one and it is a true celebration of the community she has created/crafted.

I love the writing. For example, "Mrs. Watson returned to 54 Deckawoo Drive with dread in her heart. What had started as a pebble of worry was turning into a boulder of despair."

© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers