A local children’s librarian recently introduced me to ‘Fancy Nancy’ by Jane O’Connor with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser. Nancy is a spirited gal who is VERY committed to seeing her world brought to its fullest ‘fancy’ potential. She is far more into high heels and frills and lace and lipstick than I ever was – but I do recognize that many kids do go through a stage like this…and some take it through to adulthood! I adore her passion for retraining her ‘far-too-plain’ family to help them to find their inner ‘fancy’.
I love that her mom and dad and sibling and pets sit agreeably through her ‘fancy’ lessons and allow her to make them over before they head out to the diner for a family meal! “When we arrive at the King’s Crown, everybody looks up. They probably think we’re movie stars.” There are a bunch of titles about Fancy Nancy, but of the ones I’ve read, I like the original best. The book is full of pink and skirts on the edge of my aversion to programming girls to like ‘girlish’ things, but I do adore Nancy’s passion and respect her choices. I know from many parents, that
there are kids (yes, many of them girls) who adore everything pink and frilly. We can celebrate and love them for their dedication to what they love, no?
Fancy Nancy has a website of her own, thanks to publisher Harper Collins. It seems there are apps, activities and games there for kids who are fans.