Review Detail

‘A Very Mercy Christmas’ by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, tells the story of Stella Endicott. All she wants is to spread joy through Christmas carols, but no one wants to sing with her. She’s the only one who seems to have the spontaneous urge to take part in the tradition. She even tries to get her neighbor, Eugenia Lincoln, to take part, but Eugenia isn’t having it. Everybody seems to be too busy, but it doesn’t deter Stella. She ends up with Mercy the pig, as well as a cat and a horse, and they all sing together, even though Mercy generally prefers to be sung to, rather than to sing herself.

The miracle of the holiday season is clear as the book nears its end. Some of the people Stella tried to get to sing with her when she was getting ready to go out caroling begin to come together, with the biggest surprise of all being one of her neighbors with an accordion. The beauty of togetherness and kindness are more than evident by the last pages of the story, as they all sit down to share a meal together.