Mercy Watson to the Rescue

I randomly found this series while at the library one day. I can't remember what I was looking for, but I saw these books and was intrigued. The illustrations were so fun and I was pretty excited to see that Kate DiCamillo was the author - LOVE her writing!

Mercy is a pig, adopted and adored by the Watsons. One night, after singing her to sleep, Mr. and Mrs. Watson crawl into their own bed and settle down for a good night's rest. Unfortunately, Mercy is afraid of the dark and decides to crawl into bed with the Watsons. They don't mind at all, until the floor cracks and the bed begins to fall through it!

Mercy leaves the bedroom, and the Watsons assume that she's on her way to find help. In reality, Mercy has begun a search for hot, buttered toast - her absolute favorite food. She ambles on over to the Lincoln sister's house and after a string of hilarious events, she finally returns home with a pair of firemen who are able to rescue the Watsons just in the nick of time. Overjoyed and amazed with their "Porcine Wonder", the Watson's celebrate by preparing a midnight snack of hot buttered toast for everyone!

The Tale of Despereaux

I read this book a few months ago and thought it was a beautifully written story. I was a little surprised to find how different the movie was from the actual book, but then again, why should I be? Isn't that the way it always goes?

Despereaux Tilling believes in courage and bravery. How many other mice could say the same? It's because of these beliefs and his love for a princess that Despereaux is banished to the dungeon - a place where only rats survive.

A few of the characters were much more sinister in the book than they were in the movie, but I suppose they had to soften things up a bit for the kids. My 5 year old, who is currently obsessed with sword fighting, will love this book!