# Is "Mercy Watson to the Rescue (Mercy Watson 1)" by Kate DiCamillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mercy Watson to the Rescue (Mercy Watson 1) by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press, 2005) is identified by: First title in the early-reader Mercy Watson series, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. US Candlewick edition is the true first (2005).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First title in the early-reader Mercy Watson series, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
- Candlewick, 2005
- First printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Issued in pictorial (glazed) hardcover boards WITHOUT a dust jacket, as issued; there is no jacket or price to look for
- Publisher imprint reads Candlewick Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kate DiCamillo |
| Publisher | Candlewick Press |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First title in the early-reader Mercy Watson series, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First title in the early-reader Mercy Watson series, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Candlewick, 2005. First printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Issued in pictorial (glazed) hardcover boards WITHOUT a dust jacket, as issued; there is no jacket or price to look for.

## Is this the true first?
US Candlewick edition is the true first (2005). Kate DiCamillo is a US author and Candlewick is a US publisher, so there is no competing UK or Canadian precedence. First entry in the series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so the sequence no longer ends in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mercy Watson to the Rescue (Mercy Watson 1)* by Kate DiCamillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mercy-watson-to-the-rescue-mercy-watson-1
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.