This Will Tickle Your Fancy...

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy
Written By: Jane O’Connor
Illustrated By: Robin Preiss Glasser
 
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. Admittedly, I must have been living under a rock,
because this was the first time I heard about Fancy Nancy. But I have a good
excuse. I have an 11 month old son. Need I say more?
 
This book is spectacular (or as Nancy would say, “That’s a fancy word for great.”) 
I enjoyed it for a number of reasons. First, the main character, Nancy, is adorable, spunky, and precocious. She is driven by the need to feel, dress, look, speak, eat…well, just be everything fancy.
She is a beautifully imagined character created by Jane O’Connor.
 
Calling all girly-girls everywhere! The illustrations, by Robin Reiss Glasser are gorgeous and fun. BRAVO! They practically drip with glitter and all things pink and flowery. I can just imagine Nancy’s world and her insatiable need for the finer things in life.

I think this door is the perfect reflection of this book. I imagine Nancy walking passed this door on a London street, dreaming of all the lavish trinkets inside. 

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I just adore how Nancy uses “fancy” words, and tells us what they mean and how to pronounce them. Example: “I hope we get a papillon, like our neighbor’s dog. You say it like this: pappy-yawn. In French, it means butterfly.” It’s such a clever tool to teach your kids new words and to expand their vocabulary. A great exercise would be to pick a new word from the book, and find ways to use it in sentences throughout the day.
 
Now, I was the complete opposite of Nancy as a child. I was a total tomboy with grass stains on my clothes and dirt in my frizzy hair. But what Nancy and I did have in common, was our desire for a puppy. Fancy Nancy is a series, but in this book, she is wishing for a posh (that’s another word for fancy) puppy. When her parents want a much larger dog than the one of Nancy’s dreams, she develops a plan to dogsit her neighbor’s papillon. When her plan backfires, she finds out just how delicate a fancy dog can be! Nancy finally comes around and realizes a papillon just isn’t going to work. She rescues a dog, in need of a home, from a shelter instead.  Her new dog is perfect for the family, a little fancy, and most of all unique...which Nancy decides is better than being fancy anyway.
 
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a little girl and/or if you are thinking about rescuing a dog. It’s a wonderful device to spark a conversation about finding the right breed for the entire family and how rescuing a dog is a truly rewarding experience for all involved.
 
I think you’ll fancy this book too.  ENJOY!