The Ladybug Reads...: Review - Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Review - Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes

Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes (Mercy Watson #6)
by Kate DiCamillo
illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Date: 2009
Publisher: Candlewick
Reading level: C
Book type: illustrated chapter book
Pages: 96
Format: e-book
Source: library

Some may find it wonky to take a pig to the drive-in. But not the Watsons, who think the movie’s title, When Pigs Fly, is inspirational. And not their beloved Mercy, who is inspired by the scent of real butter from the theater’s Bottomless Buckets of popcorn. As they pull up in their convertible, Mercy lifts up her snout and becomes a pig on a mission, leading a delirious chase that’s trailed by hapless rescuers reunited from Mercy’s earlier adventures.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm kind of sad that this is the last Mercy Watson book. I still need to read #4 (hurry up, library!) and there's the spin-off series to finish, but I'm going to miss reading about this porcine wonder and her wonky adventures.

In this tale, the Watsons decide to go to the drive-in to see a movie called When Pigs Fly. They take the Lincoln sisters, as well as Stella and Frank (who I'm assuming were introduced in Book 4). Officer Tomilello and Francine Poulet are also at the drive-in, along with Leroy Ninker, and eventually the firemen Lorenzo and Ned show up, too... so it's a big reunion of all the characters of the series. Mercy ends up using the drive-in as a buttered-popcorn buffet, and everyone ends up chasing her. Of course, Mercy loves a chase...

For some reason, I found the dialogue a little clunky in spots, especially with Francine Poulet's date, Alfred P. Tomkins. It almost seemed comma-splicey to me. Other than that, though, this book had the same sort of style as the others, with plenty of new words to keep kids stimulated (e.g., Leroy Ninker singing the praises of real butter on the popcorn: "Yippie-i-oh! There's nothing faux.").

I'm so glad I read this series. I'll read Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise at some point in the future. I wouldn't miss it! I just wish these books--along with the Bink & Gollie series by the same author--had been around when I needed early-reader chapter books. I know I would've gobbled these all up... like hot toast with a great deal of butter on it!

Quotable moment:

Mercy discovered that there was hot buttered popcorn everywhere.

Every car had big buckets of popcorn!

Every car had open windows!

The popcorn was buttery.

The popcorn was crunchy.

The popcorn was delicious.