Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig (Mercy Watson #5)

Fifteen very short action-packed chapters make this a fine step up for readers ready for a slightly more challenging read than Henry and Mudge. 

Shiny, stylized artwork captures all the fun of Mercy's capers.

Gr 24In this installment, the porcine protagonist outrages the Lincoln sisters when she sneaks through their hedge and eats their newly planted pansies. Eugenia Lincoln calls animal control, and Officer Francine Poulet shows up determined to "think like a pig" and catch the culprit. Chaos ensues, and the porker escapes to enjoy another day of buttered toast. Fans of the series will welcome this addition to Mercy's adventures and be amused by the hyperbolic quality of Van Dusen's color illustrations."Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Mercer Island Library, WA" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

As always, Mercy is a blue ribbon winner. The characters are hilarious, partly because they are so true to life. Illustrator Chris Van Dusen's pictures add to the story (Francine Poulet's license plate reads "CLUCK"; Mercy's bowl of lemonade is garnished with a slice of lemon). Young fans no doubt already find themselves craving a new Mercy story in much the same way that the porcine wonder pines for hot crunchy toast dripping with butter.
—Kidsreads.com

Mercy Watson fans will surely love this deliciously, ridiculously funny story...Chris Van Dusen has produced delightful illustrations that perfectly compliment Kate DiCamillo's prose.
—Looking Glass Review

Funny, giggly, and silly...hilarious, bold, brightly colored illustrations that almost glow.
—Record-Courrier (Ravenna, Ohio)