A Piglet Named Mercy

Buy This Book * More books by Kate DiCamillo

Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson live ordinary lives. Sometimes their lives feel a bit too ordinary. Sometimes they wish something different would happen. And one day it does, when someone unpredictable finds her way to their front door. In a delightful origin story for the star of the Mercy Watson series, a tiny piglet brings love (and chaos) to Deckawoo Drive — and the Watsons’ lives will never be the same.

English:

• Create your own story based on a similar title, e.g. A Puppy Named Milo, A Bunny Named Hop.
• Retell the story from Mercy’s point of view.
• What does the word ‘Mercy’ mean? Can you think of any synonyms?
• At one point in the story, Mrs Watson wishes that something different would happen. Continue the story from this point with your own ideas.
• Create a ‘Missing’ poster about Mercy from the pig farm.
• Make a list of words and phrases to describe pigs.
• Write a postcard from Mercy back to his friends on the farm.
• Rewrite some of the speech using reported speech instead of direct speech.
• Write a letter of complaint from Eugenia Lincoln to her neighbours about their new arrival.
• This book is a prequel to the ‘Mercy Watson’ series*. Can you read one of them?
• Write your own story about Mercy Watson. What other adventures might she have?
• Write some instructions to teach the Watsons how to look after a pet pig.
• Write a newspaper article about a family who adopt a pet pig.
• Think of some questions you would like to ask the Watsons as part of an interview. How might they respond?
• Mercy does not talk in this story. What might she say if she could?
• Read and discuss other stories about pigs (e.g. The Three Little Pigs). Which do you prefer and why?
• In the following video, Kate DiCamillo introduces the book. Think of some questions you would like to ask her.

Maths:

• There are a number of examples of patterns and tessellations in the illustrations. Can you find them and design some of your own?
• Plan a party to celebrate Mercy’s arrival. How many guests should be invited? How much food / drink will you need? How much change might this cost? How much change will you get if you pay a particular amount?

Science:

• Learn about pigs and produce a report about them.
• Find out about different breeds of pigs. How are they similar / different?
• Study the life cycle of a pig.

Computing:

• Design a game in which Mercy has to find her way around her new family home to find toast and bottles of milk.
• Create an audio, video or multimedia presentation about pigs.
• Make an animation that shows a pig moving.
• Use a branching database to sort and classify different farm animals.
• Use publishing software to make an invitation to celebrate Mercy’s arrival.
• Record your own narrated version of the story. Here is an example:

Design Technology:

• Could you make a model of a pig or a pig puppet?
• Make a new shelter that Mercy could live in.

Art:

• The illustrations of Mercy portray many different emotions throughout the story. Can you create your own character and create different illustrations of them to show a variety of facial expressions?
• Create your own illustrations or paintings or pigs.

Languages:

• Find out the name for ‘pig’ in other languages.

PSHE:

• Pigs are often thought to be lucky. What does it mean to be ‘lucky’? When have you been lucky in your life?
• The Watsons take care of Mercy when she arrives on their doorstep. Have you ever had to care for something or somebody else? How did you do this?