Gillian Streeter (Children's Book and Play Review, May 2006)
Nancy loves to be fancy. Instead of saying her favorite color is purple, Nancy says it is fuchsia. Ice cream has to at least have sprinkles on top. And Nancy can't wait to learn French, because everything sounds fancy in French. But Nancy's family isn't fancy - they don't understand that sandwiches are better with frilly toothpicks in them or that lace-trimmed socks help fancy people play soccer better. So Nancy has an idea: she can teach her family to be fancy! While the story is funny and sweet, the illustrations are the main draw of the book--they are as exuberant as Nancy herself. There is an excellent contrast between the audaciously dressed and colored Nancy and her neutral-clothed family, and the colors and tone change when Nancy finds herself feeling not at all fancy. Rating: Excellent. Reading Level: Primary; Intermediate. Category: Picture books; Contemporary realistic fiction. 2006, HarperCollins, 32 p., $16.89. © 2002, Brigham Young University.

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
Our precocious heroine is introduced on the cover and title page, overdressed in her self-designed regalia and a saucy smile. There is even glitter scattered on the jacket. Fancy is always a better name than plain Nancy; even in her vocabulary, fuchsia is better than purple. First she shows us her room, dripping with feathers, flowers, and strands of little lights. Then she dresses up her un-fancy parents for a trip to a pizzeria. But there she trips with a tray filled with banana splits, making a mess of all her fanciness. Cleaned up at home, she recovers enough to join the family for a “Parfait.” The scenes zing with lively watercolor descriptions of the actions, with hints of settings but with the characters always living it up front and center. The appealing heroine and her cooperative parents enact a comic but reasonable mini-drama with a bit of a lesson for the overly fancy. 2006, HarperCollins Children’s Books/HarperCollins Publishers, $15.99 and $16.89. Ages 4 to 7.

Robyn Gioia (Children's Literature)
When my little girl was five, she told me I did not dress her pretty enough. She was a “fancy Nancy.” Fancy Nancy is the heart and soul of all the little girls out there who love frills, plumes, color, and loads of style. Everyday things must be fancy. Nancy explains it this way, “I like to write my name with a pen that has a plume. That is a fancy way of saying feather. And I can’t wait to learn French because everything in French sounds fancy.” This fascination leaves Nancy a little frustrated because her family just does not understand. Lace-trimmed socks really do help her play better. And sandwiches really do taste better with frilly toothpicks. Then she decides it is time to teach her family how to be fancy. The story is delightful and sure to tickle the fancy bone of all girls, young and old. The artwork is eye candy for the heart. Nancy is an adorable young lady with curly hair, frilly adornments, and a melting smile. She is someone you will fall in love with. Each page contains a simple sentence illustrated by a whimsical scene. 2006, HarperCollins Publishers, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 24))
A tot with a penchant for panache is at the center of this playful tale that celebrates marching to the beat of your own drummer. Nancy, a little girl enraptured by all things ornate, is dismayed by her family's distinctly conventional tendencies. In her quest to convince her loved ones that the sundry trappings of the fabulous life are actually sheer necessities, Nancy embarks upon a campaign of family beautification by offering fancy living instructions. O'Connor deftly conveys Nancy's precocious yet disarming delivery: Nancy is a hoot and her fashion-first message will resonate with many budding divas among the preschool set. Glasser's vivacious, vividly colored illustrations capture the exuberance with which tiny fashonistas embrace the life of the glitterati. Aspiring converts to Nancy's tony lifestyle will find Glasser's humorous depictions of Nancy in all her glory inspirational, whether she's dressed for the evening or making over her family. The poignant message about love needing no embellishment adds a heartwarming touch to this fun-filled tale. 2006, HarperCollins, 32p, $15.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 4 to 6. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Deborah Stevenson, Associate Editor (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February 2006 (Vol. 59, No. 6))
Fancy” is young Nancy’s driving passion, from her patterned, feathered, and frilly room, to her colorful and beribboned clothing, to her polysyllabically inclined mode of expression; unfortunately, the rest of her family favors vanilla cones and earthtoned casualwear, forcing Nancy to repeatedly explain that “lace-trimmed socks do help me to play soccer better” and “sandwiches definitely taste better when you stick in frilly toothpicks.” Nancy’s indulgent parents and little sister allow Nancy to fancy them up to her tastes and then the family goes out strutting for dinner at a restaurant, where Nancy takes a messy and humiliating header that leaves her in need of sympathy, tenderness, and a very unfancy “I love you” to make her feel fancy again. The plot loses focus toward the end, but the concept is executed with flair and sympathetic understanding; Nancy’s unaffected joy in adornment is so whole-souled that her adoration of pretension manages to be unpretentious. With its abundance of line, Glasser’s art tends to feel overcrowded even in its simpler scenes, a characteristic that works to its favor in presenting Nancy’s milieu as the crammed-to-the-hilt, festooned-within-an-inch-of-its-life vision that will be a glamorous fantasy to many young viewers (while being a visual nightmare to many of their parents). The book’s pink and glittery cover will entice exactly the kids who will find a kindred spirit in Nancy. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2006, HarperCollins, 32p, $16.89 and $15.99. Ages 5-8 yrs.

Katrina Bender (The Kutztown Book Review, Fall 2006)
Nancy loves fancy things – glitter, plumed pens, sprinkles, and using French words. Unfortunately, the rest of her family is just “plain Jane”…until Nancy decides to give them lessons in being “fancy” for one special night out. After a few misadventures, Nancy discovers that the one thing that can’t be made better, or fancier, is saying “I love you.” Glasser’s exuberant artwork perfectly captures Nancy’s addiction to all things glamorous, and is sure to appeal to any little (or not so little!) girl. The story celebrates family closeness and little girls in particular, but is really more appealing to adults than children, who won’t understand the gentle humor of the story. The book is charming, and highly recommended, just don’t expect children to have the same reaction as an adult reader. Category: Picture Book. 2005, HarperCollins Children’s Books, $16.89. Ages 3 to 8.