Love and Mercy

What could be the secret to spreading some love and mercy on a cold, gray February day? Mercy Watson creators Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen reunite to make a warm and toasty holiday classic boasting a special press-out valentine.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.