Mercy Watson: “A Porcine Wonder”

    I did a bit of purely nostalgic reading this week. I often enjoy returning to a book I read a while back, and seeing it through a new pair of eyes. New insights are always exciting. I am surprised to say that even this week’s nostalgic read provided new insights I’d never considered before. I speak of the Mercy Watson series, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. This is one of the first “first chapter books” I read, so you should know that I am completely and totally biased in its favor.

    Mercy Watson lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson on Deckawoo Drive. She’s a pig. Just to be clear, she’s literally a pig, not a rude and messy human, but a pig. Being a pig treated like a human child, Mercy enjoys a wide range of very piggy activities, such as eating heavily buttered toast and plants and driving. It’s probably fair, therefore, to call her a “porcine wonder,” as Mr. Watson often does.

    The books tell of Mercy’s numerous misadventures. They often revolve around food, or at least include it somehow. I realized while scanning some of the books this week why exactly I enjoy them so much. I’d never really thought about it before, as the last time I read them was about four years ago, and ten-year-old me didn’t pay attention.

    Simply put, I like these books because they are hilarious. How could they not be? They narrate the daily life of a pet pig. A fully grown, rather plump pig, mind you. But the hilarity extends beyond the topsy-turvy premise.

    The situations Mercy gets herself into, and how she gets there, would be entertaining when applied to any species. They are bouts of pure ridiculous creativity. Read aloud, they would be enough to entertain most, maybe even all, children, even without illustration. Even among the utter chaos of the series, there is a familiar order from book to book. The ending is predictable each time, and it becomes a running joke to older readers. Well, it’s a running joke to old me. The books have a solid and comical foundation, but DiCamillo and Van Dusen really take it over the top with their intricate craftsmanship.

    For example, the illustrations are quite… dramatic. They are packed with action, and the expressions on the character’s faces are exaggerated and decidedly obvious to onlookers. Mercy, for instance, is always oblivious to her surroundings, as she is caught up in her own agenda. This is apparent in her nearly unceasing grin. The illustrations are bright and goofy, which really helps to highlight those same characteristics in the text. The cartoonish, exaggerated visuals that populate these books really help bring them to life in the minds of readers young and old. They add comedy while providing assistance for young readers who may struggle with the words.





    The characters themselves are simple, but wacky, and can mostly be summed up in one trait. Mr. and Mrs. Watson-- well, they keep a pampered pet pig, who they treat as a human child. They are kind and welcoming to everyone. Eugenia, the cranky old neighbor, is remarkably entitled. Baby, Eugenia’s sister, is quietly fun-loving. Officer Tomillello, potentially the only member of this town’s law enforcement, is perpetually confused. Leroy Ninker, an obnoxious wannabe cowboy, is very misguided. Francine Poulet, an animal control officer, is overly committed to her job. She feels the need to become animals in order to capture them. The characters each only have one motivator, often concealed from the other characters, turning otherwise mundane or worrisome interactions into genius comedy routines. The books are made even more gratifying when these different characters manage to get along as they are thrown into each other’s paths. They promote the age-old idea that extra helpings of hot buttered toast solve all issues, including legal troubles.

    To convince you the above praise is not the incoherent rambling of some deranged fan, I must tell you that the second book, entitled Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book. Here’s a link with more information: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/geiselaward. There is also a spin-off series called Tales of Deckawoo Drive (which I haven’t read), with books centering around some of the non-Mercy characters. As you can see from the award and success of the series, someone else agrees with me about the value of these books.

    You can probably guess by now that I rate these books 5/5 stars. Each book is about 70-80 pages long, takes only about half an hour to read, and is saturated with brilliant illustrations and very sophisticated humor. Though especially helpful when one needs to entertain small children, a Mercy Watson book is delightful to all ages. I cannot recommend enough that you read one at some point, for the sheer joy you will undoubtedly garner from it.


-- Fallon