A charming book series that is great for early readers. The book series tells of a cute fat pig named Mercy Watson that lives with her human family and goes on an adventure while eating lots and lots of buttered toast. The illustrations are stunning and supplement the narrative so well. I would use this series as a segway into the world of chapter books for either new readers (1st-2nd) or for struggling older readers (3rd-5th) ( )

Personal Response: These books are so much fun to read! They are hilarious about mundane, everyday things. I love that they're chapter books, but are so fully illustrated that young children enjoy them. The pig ("porcine wonder") is a ridiculous, perfect character.

Curricular Connections: This book is the perfect bridge between picture books and chapter books. Students could write and illustrate longer selections themselves. They could study how humor is created through both words and pictures. They could discuss how people in communities are diverse, yet get along and enjoy one another.