As always DiCamillo never lets her audience's age keep her from using (and subtly explaining) the perfect word: Eugenia exhibits schadenfreude at Mercy's apparent demise, and the smell of butter is ubiquitous in the Butter Barrel candy factory. Van Dusen's stylized, gouache artwork plays upon the story's inherent humor and quirky characters. . . As the final book in the beloved Mercy Watson universe, this will lure fans like a certain pig sniffing out buttered toast.
—Booklist (starred review)

Whether this is their first "Mercy Watson" book or their last, readers will be drawn into the mystery from page one and be eager to find out who discovers Mercy’s whereabouts. A ­delightful conclusion to this chapter ­series.
—School Library Journal

12/01/2023

Gr 1–4—Mercy Watson has gone missing in this final book in the "Tales from Deckawoo Drive" series. All the characters are back: Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Baby and Eugenia Lincoln, Frank, Stella, and many more. Mr. and Mrs. Watson are devastated that their "porcine wonder" is missing, and they hire a local detective, Percival Smidgely, to find out where she is. Unbeknownst to them, this is Percival's first case as a private investigator. Stella and Frank are dubious about the detective's credentials and ability to solve the mystery, so they do their own sleuthing to find the missing pig. Van Dusen's familiar drawings capture the frolicking adventure in full-color and black-and-white illustrations. For young readers eager to stretch their vocabulary, there will be plenty of new words to discover, such as eclecticism, purported, exploits, and scintillating. Whether this is their first "Mercy Watson" book or their last, readers will be drawn into the mystery from page one and be eager to find out who discovers Mercy's whereabouts. VERDICT A delightful conclusion to this chapter series. Purchase where the other books in the series circulate well.—Heidi Dechief