Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published: December 2005
Estimated Price: $16.99 USD
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor will be adored by any child who loves the game of dress-up. Nancy lives in a flamboyant and "fancy" world of her own creation where things like lace socks are a must in order to play soccer well. Frustrated with her own family's lack of originality, she gives them lessons on how to be "fancy" like her. The family gets into the spirit of dress-up and make-believe and they all decide to go out and celebrate. An embarrassing moment for Nancy brings this little girl down to earth and back to the fact that her family is still her plain, old family and that that fact is okay with her. Although a sweet and fanciful frolic of a book, I still prefer a story with good lessons and this one just doesn't cut it for me. It pushes materialism a little too much and promotes originality through one's possessions, a fact I wouldn't love to teach to my own child. Still, the illustrations are fun and frilly and it teaches some "fancy" alternatives to "plain" adjectives. Although I turn up my idealistic nose to what this book says, as a young girl, I would have enjoyed it!
2 out of 5 sprouts
4 comments:
Sounds like a book my five year old daughter would love.
I'm with you on your assessment of the book.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
I agree with hipwritermama.
But having seen a film and a theatre play about people who have nothing, I have to say there is some good in material possession. Using it for theater or for love of life is okay. At this point in life I would like to promote playing for adults. Especially who didn't have a chance to play in their childhood.
My 4 year old heard this book read in her Story Drama class. She took a shine to it. It's not something I would have picked out for her, but it certainly appealed to her aesthetics. The first word my daughter ever attempted to say was "lace" (for her, it came out as "gaishe"), and she's been a textiles-girl ever since.
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