A Very Mercy Christmas
illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Candlewick Press, September 27, 2022
Picture book, ISBN 978-1-5362-1360-7
Stella Endicott felt joyful. She felt like something miraculous might happen. She wanted to sing.
When Stella gets the sudden idea to go caroling, she has a little trouble getting someone to join her. Her brother, Frank, is not good at spontaneity. The Watsons are very involved in a precarious fruitcake attempt (but happy to send their pig, Mercy, out for the occasion). Eugenia Lincoln declines, a bit rudely, to accompany on her accordion, and Horace Broom is too busy studying planetary movement. Will Stella need to sing by herself—with enthusiastic contributions from the pig, the cat, and the horse she picks up on the way? Or does the evening hold a miracle Stella hadn’t expected?
With tender affection for Mercy Watson and all her Deckawoo Drive friends, Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen offer a picture-book homage to the season that is perfectly suited for family sharing—perhaps with some cups of hot cocoa and a stack of well-buttered toast.
Read the Reviews
Thanks to DiCamillo’s quirky and endearing characters and subtle use of scene, [this story] feels like a bit of Christmas magic…. This celebration of community lit from the spark of just one joyful child anchors this familiar, warm story…. Has to be said: It hits all the right notes. (Kirkus Reviews)
Expressive, pink-flushed characters sparkle in scenes bedecked with festive cheer in the winsome illustrations of this holiday tale. (Foreword Reviews)
Van Dusen’s cool tones, saturated colors, and expressiveness pair well with the written words, providing nuance … a heartwarming Christmas story that emphasizes being kind to one another. (School Library Journal)