Love & Mercy
illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Candlewick Press, December 8, 2026
Picture book, ISBN 978-1-5362-1633-2
It’s Valentine’s Day and Stella Endicott is feeling dreary. But when she delivers a valentine to Mercy Watson’s house, Mrs. Watson invites her in to join them in making heart-shaped toast (with a great deal of butter, cinnamon, and sugar).
On her way home, Stella bumps into the mail carrier Norman Fenzer, who says his heart is as heavy as a mailbag full of valentines that are never for him.
As the sounds of Eugenia Lincoln’s mournful accordion waft through the trees, Stella suddenly gets an idea — a surefire way she can lift her friends’ hearts, and her own.
Whether they are longtime fans or first-time visitors to Mercy Watson’s world, readers will feel their own spirits lighten as they follow a beloved cast of characters through the streets of Gizzford in this pitch-perfect picture-book valentine.