Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words

Starred review from April 7, 2008
Kids even slightly drawn to sesquipedalianism (the use of long words) will love these logodaedalian (verbally clever) vocabulary books.
Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany
Jane O'Connor
, illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser. HarperCollins
, $12.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-154923-6

Building on O'Connor and Glasser's bestselling series, ultimate girly-girl Fancy Nancy makes vocabulary glamorous in this A–Z compendium (“That's fancy for collectionâ€). As O'Connor explains in a foreword, “When you use in a sentence, it's like adding sprinkles to vanilla ice cream!†The chosen words are generally helpful (hostess, wardrobe, understated) rather than precocious (ooh la la!), and reflect Fancy Nancy's special style. For example, to introduce the word “improvise,†as in “I wanted a canopy bed so I had to improvise. I used a sheet, a mop, and a broom,†Glasser shows the minimaven lolling in bed with bonbons and a tea tray, broomsticks supporting a canopy of perfectly ruffled gingham. Ooh la la, indeed! Ages 4-7.

October 1, 2008
K-Gr 2-Nancy is back, and here she encourages her audience to use some "fancy" words. Arranged alphabetically with usually one entry per letter, the terms are introduced. For example, "Fiascoa big flop, a disaster. I dropped all the parfaits. What a fiasco!" Instead of dogs, Nancy uses "canine" and substitutes "excursion" for trip. Other fun-filled suggestions include "boa," "tiara," and "wardrobe." The energetic, colorful illustrations entice readers to add sparkle to their conversations and writings."Linda Staskus, Parma Regional Library, OH"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2008
Fancy Nancys many fans will want this alphabetically organized list of fancy words. Designed to expand vocabulary, the book places one new word and its definition on a page, then offers a sentence to show its use in context. For instance, accessories is defined as fancy extra stuff. The sentence, which explains that Nancy has more fancy stuff than anybody else in the world, is bolstered by an ink-and-watercolor illustration, featuringNancy coveredin bows and boas, ribbons and wrappings. The vocabulary builders include great wordssuch asimprovise and parasolbut kids will have fun with the concept, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
For kids who can't get enough of picture book it-girl Fancy Nancy, here's a serviceable alphabet book devoted to "fancy" words, including "Dapper--fancy, for a man" and "Ooh la la!--French for 'Look! How wonderful!'" Each featured word is used in a sentence and accompanied by an illustration, often starring Nancy looking, as usual, less fancy than gaudy.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)