Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly

Fancy Nancy

by Jane O'Connor, Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)

Fancy Nancy thinks butterflies are simply exquisite. And that is why she can't wait for her friend Bree's Butterfly Birthday. It's going to be the fanciest birthday party ever!

But when Nancy finds out she can't go because her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary party is the same day, she is furious. (Mad is way too plain for how she feels.) How Nancy overcomes her disappointment and reconnects with her family is a fun and meaningful story for young readers.

Perfect for fans of the Eloise and Olivia books. From the dazzling New York Times bestselling duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser.

This edition is a jacketed hardcover.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Family, Kids, France

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Since the publication of Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor's closet now boasts so many boas, tiaras, and sparkly ensembles that sometimes friends do not recognize her on the street. She still resides (that's a fancy word for lives) in New York City with her family and their canine companion, Arrow. --from the publisher's website

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this is one of my favourites. The story just seems a little weak compared to some of the others.

Nancy is all excited to go to her friend's birthday party. But it happens to be on the same day as her grandparents' anniversary party, which is out of town. So Nancy basically gets mad and sulks in the lead-up to the party. (The illustrations are actually pretty amusing here. The pictures of her being devastated, disappointed, and dramatic are funny.) Eventually, she has fun celebrating the special day with her family and she apologizes for being angry earlier. After that, as a bit of a consolation prize, her mom takes her to the butterfly garden at the local zoo and Nancy sees a pretty blue butterfly just like the one she was going to dress up as for Bree's Butterfly Birthday party.

I did like the fact that Nancy apologized for her behaviour, but I felt sympathy for her, too. What kid wants to go to a party for a couple of old folks when there's a butterfly-themed kids' party being dangled in front of their nose?

So... this one was just okay for me. It's not a bad book, but it doesn't quite live up to some of the others that I've previously read.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a particularly good Fancy Nancy story. Nancy is thrilled when her friend Bree is about to have a butterfly themed birthday party, and Nancy even has a blue butterfly costume picked out to wear. Then she finds out she can’t attend the party because she needs to attend her grandparents’ 50th anniversary party. Nancy sulks and mourns, then she finds out her grandparents’ party is fancy too, and there is a butterfly surprise on that trip as well.

This is a lovely story re grandparents & grandchildren. Anyone who likes butterflies and other Fancy Nancy books will love it.

I was shocked when I first found out how much I like these Fancy Nancy books, and I continue to remain amazed by their substance and by how good they really are.

Charming, particularly great for girly girls, and a wonderful way to add to youngsters’ vocabulary.

The illustrations are fun and full of delightful details.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this sweet picture book that combines discussion of butterflies, "fancy words," and the French language. The artwork was also quite lovely -- colorful with lots of yellows and blues. I enjoyed watching this on with my 6-year-old as a virtual read aloud with Ms.Martina.

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third book in the Fancy Nancy series is still beautifully illustrated like the previous volumes, and Nancy is still a very fun character to read. However, the story about having to give up going to a friend's birthday party to attend her grandparents 50th wedding anniversary wasn't as interesting as the previous books. I think it was because Nancy spent several pages sulking, which gave the book a darker tone than usual.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I was underwhelmed by the second book in this series, this third book more than made up for it. The story was sweet, and taught a good message without being preachy, but Glasser's art stole the show. Nancy was a drama queen extraordinaire (that's French for "Wow, can Glasser draw!") The gestures and facial expressions of the main characters are exaggerated and melodramatic in a delightful manner, especially Nancy. When she didn't get her way, she slumped over a swing, and stormed around blackly in mourning. She threw her arms about as if she was on stage, broadcasting her emotions to patrons in the back of the theater. Yet the subtle moments were also captured well, from warm and bemused smiles to Nancy's sister exhausted in her mother's arms. Meanwhile, O'Connor continued to entertain with charming text and fancy words sure to challenge any beginning reader. I'm glad this book is part of my collection.

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty stinking cute with beautiful illustrations. I like that that it dealt with a truly devestating thing for a kid but she learned about the most important thing -being with her family.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more than just a "butterfly" book... Nancy has to miss her friend's birthday party for a very different celebration. Shows how a young girl bonds with her family even after a disappointment.

[Carolyn Wilhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy books appeal to both boys and girls, but especially to girls as Nancy is just so dressed up and, well, fancy!  All of the books in this series help build vocabulary because Nancy uses fancy words to express herself, often also providing the meaning of the word.  This book uses many synonyms for the word fancy, of course, and also some familiar words in French.  Children enjoy hearing the stories as they then have big words to share when speaking with other people, and often are also happy to impart their new knowledge as to what the words mean.

In this story, Nancy is invited to a friend's butterfly birthday party and is so excited.  However, her mother says she can't attend as that is the same day as her Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary in another town.  Nancy is furious, scowls, and sulks, but does forget to be mad as the anniversary party is so, well, fancy!  She loves every minute of it and apologizes to her mother for being so mad.

[princess cay · Rating 5 out of 5]

i lovd this booke!!!!!!It made my hart flutter like roses.this booke made me smile and made my world explod. i can only hop for a secnd bok in th series






Nancy must die!!!@!!!!

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story has Nancy, Bree, Nancy's family, and butterflies. It's a nice short story.

[Lily Elness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome it made me love butterfly's.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok on the good side it talks about validating feelings in a way that I think is pretty constructive (ie it doesn't try to minimize or repress how bad the child feels or censor her feelings). It also looks at the theme of not getting what you want which is a realistic theme in any child's life and cleverly points out that sometimes you get something better than you expected. That's where I begin to have mixed feelings.

Nancy is reconciled to missing her best friend's birthday because of externals- how fancy and luxurious the trip is and the chance to go to a butterfly house. Obviously any child ought to (and would) be delighted with these things but the book seems to put a higher value on fanciness and consumer "experiences" than it does on relationships.

It's not in her relationship with her grandparents that she finds solace and meaning it's in the way they dazzle her with a wealthy lifestyle. I began to feel that the upset was less about her best friend's party in the sense of relationship and more about missing out.

It is sad to miss out, I get it. But for an extremely wealthy and spoilt child like Nancy missing out is all remediated by bigger, better spoiling. This is every child's fantasy of course but not a healthy world view. Once again the pictures were as cute and appealing as pictures can get and the presentation of loving, caring, wonderful (and wealthy) family life will be popular.

I did like that her best friend (also dazzlingly rich and popular) was black. That's a bit like Nancy (a female character) being opinionated and in touch with her feelings and her voice. So crumbs of good in a series I still overwhelmingly don't like.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy, the fanciest picture-book heroine of them all, returns in this third picture-book devoted to her adventures, this time looking forward to her best friend Bree's birthday party, which will have a butterfly theme. She is furious (a fancier word for mad) when her mother tells her that she cannot go, because her grandparents' 50th Anniversary celebration is the same day. But her experiences at the elegant (a fancier word for fancy) hotel and party soon put her in a better mood, as does the family's visit to the local zoo's butterfly exhibit.

Like its predecessors, Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly pairs an engaging tale of a high-spirited young girl with cute, colorful artwork. Also like its predecessors, there are plenty of vocabulary lessons built into the narrative, as Nancy uses "fancy" words that she then explains to the reader. I found the central crisis here believable - often children lack the emotional resources to adequately deal with disappointment, and respond with sulking or anger - and the resolution heartwarming. Nancy's parents are certainly very tolerant! Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed other Fancy Nancy titles.

[Sally Linford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gentle Reader,
You won't believe this, but I have seven daughters--yes, seven--and we ALL adore Fancy Nancy.

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, dog. (Love the rich family life represented--so rare!)

Of course, there is new, fancy vocabulary to discover 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!

[Crystal Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly didn't think I would enjoy these books as much as I do. I was charmed by Fancy Nancy and enjoyed reading it with my daughter. She is 23 months and sat through this book and Fancy Nancy in a single reading session. I think I like this one even more then the first book of the series, because I think butterflies are beautiful. I learned a thing or two also. Such as what part of the body butterflies use to taste. Again, the author is very clever in teaching vocabulary.

[Tc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful book from Jane O'Connor! Fancy Nancy again entertains us with her care-free spirit, and impressive accessorizing skills! This book offers more wonderful vocabulary like "iridescent and exceptional". It is about handling disappointment, and making the best of an unexpected situation. This book would be perfect for making text to self connections that can be discussed in class.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Fancy Nancy books because they have all the sparkle and glitz of a girly girl, without it being a princess. Plus, they help build strong vocabulary. Even if most the words are synonyms for pretty. This time around Nancy has to miss her best friends butterfly themed birthday to attend her parents 50th anniversary party.

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun to read. The pictures are beautiful and my son loves to learn some french words in it. I also liked that he can learn some new vocabularies when reading this book. We borrowed this book from the library.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute, but not quite as cute as the original fancy nancy or fancy nancy and the puppy...

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! I like that the grandparents get a leading role and show Nancy a thing or two about being "fancy."

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book after book, Fancy Nancy shows herself to be a pretty out-there-character... living her own fantasy: Part Liberace, Part Tiny Tim, Part Miss Piggy.

Comparisons fail me really. In a way I find this character endearing, although I'm also starting to feel as though I just ate an entire cherry pie plus a chocolate fudge sundae.

But finally, FINALLY! It happens. In this Fancy Nancy book IT FINALLY HAPPENS.

Nancy's parents say no to her. NO. Loud and Clear.

SPECIFICALLY...

Fancy Nancy must accompany the rest of her family to her grandparents's anniversary party. Rather than going to her equally spoiled friend's oarty, an over-the-top fancy birthday do.

Finally, fancy Nancy has been asked to do something for somebody else.

Will this signal a trend, a hopeful trend, for future books about this spoiled little girl? Will there be a sequel with a title like this? "Nancy Smithscape discovers that she's a human girl and she lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and when she grows up it's expected that she'll get a paying job."

Hmmm. Let's find out in future books of this series.

Meanwhile, FIVE STARS for this one, mostly out of hope that Fancy Nancy will eventually learn that beautiful manners are way more valuable than crazy-expensive, Versailles-worthy, costumes.

[Alissa Cleveland · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Fancy Nancy thinks butterflies are exquisite and is ecstatic when her friend, Bree, decides to have a butterfly birthday. Although, Nancy cannot make it because she must attend her grandparent’s anniversary party. After sulking, scowling, and becoming furious, she realizes there are many elegant and fun things to do while visiting her grandparents, including a trip to a butterfly garden.

2. This is a cute book that I think many children would enjoy. Throughout the book, Nancy likes to speak in French and use fancy words, which helps grab the reader’s attention. The illustrations are also bright, colorful, and easy to follow.

3. This book could be connected to other Fancy Nancy books, so that the students could look at the similarities and differences. This would be similar to our author study, in which they could see what the author consistently does with the stories or little changes that are made.

4. “Don’t you think butterflies are exquisite? (Exquisite is even fancier than beautiful.) Whenever my friend Bree and I see one, we say, ‘Bonjour!’ That’s French for ‘hello!’” This would be a great mentor text to teach students how to use different forms of language in their writing. Whether it is another language or more sophisticated words.

[Vidya Tiru · Rating 5 out of 5]

(review originally written 2012, reposted 2021 on my blog ladyinreadwrites.com)
Our Thoughts
Our second Fancy Nancy read and we loved this too.

My Thoughts
In this book, as Nancy helps her friend Bree plan a butterfly themed birthday party, she finds out she has to miss the party, as she has to attend her grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. She is disappointed about this and manages to express that fancily.

However, things change for the flutter (better!) soon and time flutters by before she knows it. She also realizes her mistake and again, family relationships, life as we know it shine through.

As always, with glitter on its cover and fancy vocabulary as well as the beautiful illustrations, I know I am going to read this book again.

My daughter’s thoughts
Butterflies and Fancy Nancy together – I love it. She is convinced that the butterfly that is in the book came up right next to her when we visited the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

[Heather Brannen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Audience: K-2nd grade
A. Nancy is upbeat and in love with her interests (being fancy). This makes here relatable because children are as enthusiastic about what they love as Nancy. She also responds to negatives by pouting, which many children do.
B. This book deals with relationships within families. Nancy is mad at her parents for making her celebrate her grandparents' anniversary because she will miss her friends birthday party, but she enjoys herself anyways.
C. How does Nancy feel with her family, is it different from how she thought she would? Nancy enjoys her time with her family. She has fun at the hotel and butterfly garden. She thought she wouldn't have fun because it would be boring.

[Madison Holdorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy was one of my favorite books as a child. Although I have read the original book many time, I have never read Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly until just recently. I love how this book (and series) teaches children about "fancy" vocabulary words and some french words as well. I feel like this is a great way to spread cultural awareness from all around the world, such as France. Although, I wouldn't use this book to read to my whole (future) class because of how it is primarily a "girly" book, I would definitely use this as a book for children to pic out themselves during reading time.

[Shelby Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Fancy Nancy is very excited for her friends' butterfly themed birthday party when she is told that an important family event will prevent her from going. She then is determined to be miserable but finds fun where she thought none could be found.

My response:
I love all Fancy Nancy books including this one! She is a very sweet character who maintains her fabulousness while learning lessons in everyday life and I enjoyed this one very much.

How I might use it:
The book has a heavy emphasis on the letter B so it could be used in therapy when working on that sound as well as teaching that sometimes things that don't seem fun at first (like therapy) can actually be quite enjoyable.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure I only saw "Bonjour Butterfly" when I saw this book, because otherwise I don't think I would have checked it out for my four-year-old son. I knew nothing about Fancy Nancy, but apparently she is the epitome of sequins, boas, glitter, and general over-the-top girlishness. The plot was okay (Nancy is disappointed that she can't go to her friend's birthday party because it interferes with her grandparents' 50th anniversary) but I don't think I'll be getting anymore of these books since they are so clearly made for girls. That being said, my son said he thought the book was interesting!

[Sami Westrick]

Growing up, I read almost every Fancy Nancy book. This book in particular was my favorite. It talks about Fancy Nancy's favorite, the butterfly and she uses French to describe her love of the insect. Showing facts about butterflies, and how they come to be and their elegance and grace. Throughout the book, French is used to describe how she feels and describes the butterfly. I would rate this book a 5 because it describes with great detail and use of great words. With imagery and text, I love this book because it is a fun way to learn about insects at a young age.

[Cynthia Gutzwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Butterfly Glory, Fancy Nancy Style

Fancy Nancy loves to use fancy words. Do you? Here is a new one. Exquisite. The butterflies are exquisite, beautiful. Every time her and her friend Bree see one, they say Bonjour, a fancy French word for hello. Now you know a fancy French word. Yeah!! What other fancy words will you see in this wonderfully written and has exquisite illustrations? Will there be more azure, blue, butterflies? You get to listen/read to find out. Hourra!! Which means Yipee in French.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's literature picture book
K-2

I love these Fancy Nancy books!! She's hilarious, and just the kind of granddaughter I would love to have. Illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser did a fabulous job making Nancy fancy on each page. It's fun to have the French words included for young students to have their worldwide horizons widened. Plus, the theme of the story is one that each child can identify with: things CAN actually turn out well even if you don't get your way and you think your heart is broken. And the butterflies are just an added delight. I will need to own this book!