Love and Mercy

By Kate DiCamillo

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 153621633X
• ISBN13: 9781536216332
• Release Date: December 2026
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.5" x 10.5"
• Age Range: 3 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2