Mercy Watson: Fights Crime 3

Product Description
The beguiling porcine wonder turns bucking bronco to snare a robber in this hilarious new addition to the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series.

Leroy Ninker is a small man with a big dream: he wants to be a cowboy, but for now he’s just a thief. In fact, Leroy is robbing the Watsons’ kitchen right this minute! As he drags the toaster across the counter – screeeeeech – and drops it into his bag – clanngggg – little does he know that a certain large pig who loves toast with a great deal of butter is stirring from sleep. Even less could he guess that comedy of errors (not to mention the buttery sweets in his pocket) will soon lead this little man on the wild and raucous rodeo ride he’s always dreamed of! Nosy neighbors, astonished firemen, a puzzled policeman, and the ever-doting Watsons return for a new tongue-in-snout adventure about Kate DiCamillo’s delightfully single-minded pig.

Publishers Weekly
Back in a third adventure, the plucky porker catches a thief in the midst of robbing the Watsons’ kitchen in Mercy Watson Fights Crime by Kate DiCamillo, illus. By Chris Van Dusen. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children’s Literature
In this third tale surrounding the buttered toast-loving porcine, Mercy Watson succeeds in catching her first criminal. One night, after the Watsons and their pig are sound asleep, Leroy Ninker, a small man passing the time as a thief while dreaming of being a cowboy, enters their home. Leroy, in his attempt to load up the toaster, awakens Mercy. She comes downstairs to investigate. When sleepy Mercy learns that no toast is being made, she plops down in the kitchen and blocks Leroy’s exit door. Before attempting to head out, Leroy pops a piece of Butter Barrel candy into his mouth, sending a delicious aroma into the air, one that Mercy cannot resist waking up to explore. As the story progresses, Leroy ends up riding Mercy’s back, the neighboring Lincoln Sisters end up on the lawn wearing their nightgowns and wondering about the effects of pie before dinner, a police officer and two fire fighters end up witnessing the capture of a not-so-bad guy, Leroy Ninker ends up seeking to reform himself, and the Watsons end up offering up a snack of buttered toast to all involved. Filled with humorous language and clever plot twists, Mercy’s third adventure is sure to lure and sustain young readers. The illustrations, done in gouache, are colorful and playful, rendering these fictional characters as larger-than-life members of a comfortably unusual community.

School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-Another rollicking adventure starring the porcine wonder. One night, Mercy awakes to the sound of the toaster scraping along the kitchen counter, which can only mean one thing-someone is making toast. Her life revolves around hot buttered toast, so she heads for the kitchen. There she finds a little man in a ten-gallon hat stealing the toaster along with other household items. Hilarity ensues, and all of the familiar characters from the previous books make appearances. Humor abounds in this tale, both the slapstick and more subtle variety, which will keep newly independent readers turning the pages. DiCamillo has creatively woven in the elements that a good easy reader should have: repetition, simple sentence structure, and controlled vocabulary. Van Dusen’s stylized illustrations enhance the action through their bright colors and exaggerated appearances of the humans. A great addition.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews
Mercy is back in this fun third installment of merrymaking, buttered-toast eating, and crime solving. When she’s a