I discovered Fancy Nancy at a book exhibition for kids when a friend pointed out that this looked like a cute book. Cute?! Oh no, that doesn't begin to cover it at all. Fancy Nancy books are exquisitely illustrated, endearing and tres jolie. Nancy is (I think) a 6 year old who believes with all her heart in French and its power to jazz up the most ordinary situation.
Nancy does not do ordinary. She dresses fancy, talks fancy and acts fancy. She also, very quickly, ends up becoming a role model of sorts for impressionable little girls. I haven't quite discovered the effect of reading one of these books to a boy, but I instinctively believe they may not quite hold the same appeal for boys as they do for the girls. I'd like to actually read one of these to a little boy and see.
My daughter, on the other hand, developed a little faux French accent, a huge propensity to wear beads, and other random affectations after these books came home, so beware those side effects too.
Do pick up the first Fancy Nancy book to start with; it introduces the heroine, her most regular but very indulgent parents and her little sister, and her neighbour, the very posh Mrs. DeVine(!) and her very posh puppy. Go on to the others as Nancy and her (also) very fancy friend Bree and the "goofball" Lionel discover art (Aspiring Artist - a great introduction to famous artists), poetry (a fabulous book called Poet Extraordinaire), astronomy (Stellar Stargazer), cooking (Delectable Cupcakes), being sporting (The Mean Girl), being proud of ones family (My Family History), and loads of other things. Nancy's teacher Miss Glass is the best kindergarten teacher you'll never find. I haven't named several of the other books, but every single one is a complete find.
Oh, and I must say that while they are available in the not at all expensive I Can Read series as well, do indulge and pick up the expensive hard cover occasionally - I've seen loads of them on Flipkart. The glitter on the jacket just sets the tone for all that fancy-ness so well! And they make for lovely birthday gifts too. Trust me, I've seen the delight writ large on grubby, cake smeared faces.
The blurb on the jacket says that the books are "by the #1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator duo Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser". What an amazingly talented duo!
Nancy does not do ordinary. She dresses fancy, talks fancy and acts fancy. She also, very quickly, ends up becoming a role model of sorts for impressionable little girls. I haven't quite discovered the effect of reading one of these books to a boy, but I instinctively believe they may not quite hold the same appeal for boys as they do for the girls. I'd like to actually read one of these to a little boy and see.
My daughter, on the other hand, developed a little faux French accent, a huge propensity to wear beads, and other random affectations after these books came home, so beware those side effects too.
Do pick up the first Fancy Nancy book to start with; it introduces the heroine, her most regular but very indulgent parents and her little sister, and her neighbour, the very posh Mrs. DeVine(!) and her very posh puppy. Go on to the others as Nancy and her (also) very fancy friend Bree and the "goofball" Lionel discover art (Aspiring Artist - a great introduction to famous artists), poetry (a fabulous book called Poet Extraordinaire), astronomy (Stellar Stargazer), cooking (Delectable Cupcakes), being sporting (The Mean Girl), being proud of ones family (My Family History), and loads of other things. Nancy's teacher Miss Glass is the best kindergarten teacher you'll never find. I haven't named several of the other books, but every single one is a complete find.
Oh, and I must say that while they are available in the not at all expensive I Can Read series as well, do indulge and pick up the expensive hard cover occasionally - I've seen loads of them on Flipkart. The glitter on the jacket just sets the tone for all that fancy-ness so well! And they make for lovely birthday gifts too. Trust me, I've seen the delight writ large on grubby, cake smeared faces.
The blurb on the jacket says that the books are "by the #1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator duo Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser". What an amazingly talented duo!
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