Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly

Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly is filled with delicious details -- the story, the family relationships, and the magnificent illustrations that seem to have a life of their own, and characters that somehow spring to life with the economy of words necessary for a book for this age range. I am a big Fancy Nancy fan, and seeing the reactions on a child's face while exploring this book makes it worth every single penny. Quite simply, this is a book not to be missed (much like the other books in the series!) Recommended!

I've been purchasing "Fancy Nancy" books for my nieces since O'Connor began writing them. Ages 4 and 5 right now, these girls LOVE the colorful images and sweet story lines. As a teacher, I love these books because they increase a child's familiarity with extended vocabulary. The illustrations are beautiful, the story line teaches children valuable lessons (for instance in "Bonjour, Butterfly" - maybe we can't always do what we want, but that doesn't mean you won't have a great time doing what you need to do...), and the vocabulary is fantastic! I can't wait to add these to my teaching library!

Dear Reader, You won't believe this, but I have seven daughters--yes, seven--from ages 15 yrs to three months old. We ALL adore Fancy Nancy. (Okay, maybe I'm putting words in the mouth of the 3 month old, but my other little girls love Nancy so much, they read the books to the baby.) The sparkley covers are enough to make any princess swoon, but the delightful writing (so few words on a page--thank you!) and spectacular illustrations make Fancy Nancy a DAILY ritual in our house. In her latest adventure, Nancy is distraught when she finds out she'll have to miss her best friend's birthday party for her grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. O'Connor presents a delightful, yet very real family: mom, dad, sister, grandparents, even dog. Of course, there is new, fancy vocabulary as Nancy expresses herself in the fanciest way possible. I'll leave it to you to discover how the butterfly theme is brilliantly woven throughout. Enjoy!

Everything about this hardback kids' book is charming, but it's the little details that will make you a Fancy Nancy fan. The illustrations -- pen and ink over vivid watercolor -- are packed with fun and realistic details. They bring the story to life, and more importantly, bring the characters to life. For example, in a scene in a garden, Nancy's mom is wearing a cap with a pink breast cancer ribbon that reads "3 Day Race." When the family has a picnic, Nancy has a tea set up for her dolls with the table being a shoebox. The shoebox reads "Comfies: Like walking on a cloud! Size 8 medium." In the hotel room, dad rests with a book over his eyes. The title? Dangerous Admissions, which is author Jane O'Connor's novel for adults. The plot is nice, too. It's about how little girl Nancy has to miss her friend Bree's butterfly-themed birthday party because she has to go to her grandparents' anniversary celebration. Nancy is very unhappy at first: "For the next two days, I scowl and sulk and storm around the house." But when the tiny drama queen goes to the anniversary she has a great time, and apologizes for her bad behavior. The cover is as fancy as Nancy herself, with glossy glittery sparkles on the artwork, words and the outside border of the book. When you take off the paper sleeve, the hardback cover has the same artwork but without the sparkles.

I'm surrounded by boys. I only have brothers, and I only have sons. I even have more nephews than nieces. That is why I'm so glad that Fancy Nancy exists to put me in touch with my inner, glowing, girlie self. I love that she loves pink and bows and beads and all things frilly and French (one of my majors in college was French). Nancy has become one of my best friends by her sheer celebration of what it means to be a girl. For the rest of this review and others, see my site.