Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy

Fancy Nancy

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

*NOW A HIT TV SERIES ON DISNEY JUNIOR* When Nancy decides to get a dog, she is certain that with the right dog, she can be fancier than ever. After all, a small, delicate, fluffy dog is the ultimate accessory for a fancy girl. But her family has other ideas. They want a large, plain dog. How unglamorous! But Nancy soon learns that there’s nothing fancier than the unconditional love of a canine companion. Perfect for fans of the Eloise and Olivia books. From the dazzling New York Times bestselling duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser! Ooh la la! Fancy Nancy is starring in her own fabulous TV show on Disney Junior. READ THE BOOKS THAT STARTED IT ALL! Fancy Nancy Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy Fancy Bonjour, Butterfly Fancy Splendiferous Christmas Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet Fancy Fanciest Doll in the Universe Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century Fancy Nancy 10th Anniversary Edition Fancy Saturday Night Sleepover Fancy Oodles of Kittens

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Dogs, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Kids

32 pages, Library Binding

First published March 27, 2007

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

[Diz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy's family decides to get a dog. Naturally, the kinds of dogs that the members of her family want to get are too plain. She wants a fancy dog. Luckily, her family has the opportunity to watch a neighbors dog for a short while. This experience teaches Nancy that her choice of dog might not be the best match for her family, so when it comes time to get their dog, Nancy compromises. The choice of dog in the end is perfect. Overall, this is a beautifully illustrated book that teaches the benefits of compromise.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy returns in this second picture-book adventure, this time attempting to find the perfect pooch for herself and for her family. Although Nancy's fancy runs toward posh puppies, her family have simpler tastes. It is only after dog-sitting for her neighbor Mrs. Devine, who keeps a pampered Papillon named Jewel, that Nancy realizes that maybe she should look for other qualities - playfulness, energy, a friendly disposition - besides fanciness...

Like its predecessor, Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy pairs an engaging text - one which features a feisty young girl heroine with lots of character and just as much heart - with cute, colorful artwork. As always with the Fancy Nancy books, I appreciated the ways in which author Jane O'Connor worked some vocabulary lessons into her text, in the guise of the "fancy" words preferred by her heroine. I also (once again) enjoyed Robin Preiss Glasser's expressive illustrations. Recommended to all Fancy Nancy fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books about the process of selecting a canine companion.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the book where Nancy's family gets Frenchy! (That's the problem with reading the books out of order. You don't know when some of these pivotal moments happened.)

Nancy wants a dog, but not just any dog. She wants a fancy dog. Like a papillon. Mrs. DeVine has a fancy little dog, so Nancy offers to dog-sit and show her parents that a dog like that is perfect for their family. Things go well until JoJo scares the little dog and something very unfancy happens.

Nancy's parents eventually take their daughters to the animal shelter, and it's there that they find Frenchy, a dog of unknown breed (I always assumed she was a poodle mix of some sort, but I guess not). Poor Frenchy looks pretty rough sitting in that cage... but once she's with the Clancys, she becomes part of the fancy family. The facial expressions on the dog--everything from joyful exuberance to a knowing satisfaction--are kind of hilarious. Frenchy might have to put up with wearing tutus and ribbons for the rest of her life, but it's a small price to pay to be part of a family with two loving little girls.

I really enjoyed this Fancy Nancy book. Along with the first eponymous title and Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet, it's up there with my favourites.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only four stars for this one because I thought a few places got a bit "stuck" in the novelty of the last book. I.e., in the first book, it's fine when Nancy uses elaborate words and says "X is a fancy way of saying Y" because the whole book was about defining how she liked to be FANCY and how she would teach her family to be FANCY, too. In this, book, though I felt we all ought to know better and Nancy could just use her fancy words... I suppose O'Connor is trying to explain the terms to young readers, but it was a bit awkward at times. ("She gets exhausted pretty quikly," I tell my friends. (That's a fancy word for tired.))

Still, Nancy is just too cute to pass up and the story is absolutely darling. I LOVE the illustrations! :-) The dogs are fabulous.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy is back and want a dog for her family. She's using her big vocabulary and feather boas too! Everytime I read this, I'm ready to go get a dog.

[leticia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compared to the English versions, this falls short. The translation is hard to read smoothly the way the English books just flow. And I haven’t come across much French words in the English books I’ve read but in two Spanish ones they have that. It just doesn’t feel like a proper Spanish book or like the translation makes much sense

[miti]

icon

[Rommel Sison · Rating 3 out of 5]

6-year-old daughter: 5 stars
4-year-old daughter: 3 stars

[Karley Barfield]

Text-to-Self Connection
Fancy Nancy is one of my favorite childhood books! I substitute at primary school and they just had character day and of the students dressed up as Fancy Nancy, bringing back so many memories for me. Nancy is so excited to experience what the world has to offer and everyones uniqueness. This is so important for a young child to understand. As a young girl I had a passion for pink, and I was fascinated with everything girl and this book resembles so much girl.

[Mrs. Gabrielle Zastrow's · Rating 5 out of 5]

By: Delbert and Amanda

It was good book. It told us a lot about different words we didn't know. We wouldn't have known these words if we wouldn't have read this book!

The characters in this book were JoJo, Nancy, Mrs. DeVine, Papillons, mom, and dad. It took place outside in the summer. The problem in the story was that when Nancy was dog sitting and thought she was able to take the best care of it, but Papillons jumped in her FAVORITE dress and it got stretched out. The problem was solved when JoJo took the dog out, put it on a pillows, and took it for a walk in the wagon. Nancy thought the dog would get sick, but it didn't. The family decided to go to the King's Crown for dinner and suprisingly on the way home, they got a new dog from the La Salle Street Animal Shelter! They named it Frenchy because Nancy loves to speak French. The lesson we learned was that not all dogs are the same and you have to find the one that is just right for you.

New Words we Learned:

posh= fancy

merci= French for Thank You

ensembles= groups of things

ecstatic= happy

spectacular= great

[Ashley Wampler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy books use a great variety of vocabulary, complete with explanations in kid friendly terms. Nancy's family is getting a dog and she is so excited! She wants to get a Papillion puppy, like her neighbor has. Her family isn't so sure. She decides to pet sit for her neighbor's puppy and learns that maybe a Papillion isn't the right dog for her family. Nancy is disappointed, but then is excited when they go to a shelter and find a fancy mixed breed dog named Frenchy, who is a perfect fit!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first venture into a Fancy Nancy book and what an adorable book it is. Fancy Nancy decides she wants to have a Fancy dog but takes on watching her neighbors dog instead. The illustrations are wonderful and I didn't even mind that Fancy Nancy explains all her fancy words to the reader. Overall, a cute and fun story.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy books are absolutely wonderful, and I enjoy them a lot. They are more geared towards girls. I love how it's told in the child's point of view and she uses big words, but then after the big words she describes what they mean, so you're learning vocabulary. The pictures are also very darling and adorable!

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 year old grand-daughters enjoyed it.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute Nancy book. I must say I love the artwork, but once again this wasn't my favorite storyline.

[princess cay · Rating 3 out of 5]

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I AM FANGIRLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW OMG THI BOOK SUCKS

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sometimes it's hard being the only fancy person in a family."

Grrrr, Nancy is not only a self-described "Fancy Person." She's a pampered, spoiled child -- charming though these books about her are. Reading this particular book I'm simply fed up.

The kid's parents are kind to her, verging on bending over backward. I suppose it's fine that her parents indulge Nancy in her plan to puppysit for Jewel, a papillon puppy. And this adventure makes for a cute part of the story.

HOWEVER...

Will Nancy learn anything? Actually she does... When it comes to buying that little trinket of an expensive-looking dog for a not-that-privileged American family circa 2008 (the year when this book was published).

But then her parents take Nancy to an animal shelter and let her pick out the dog. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but this is a dog that the entire family is going to own, not only Fancy Nancy.

I'M LEFT WONDERING

1. Do Nancy's parents know anything about how to take care of a La Salle spaniel?
2. Have they done any research into problems that could come up regarding health?
3. Might there be reasons why this dog is a rare breed?
4. Do workers at this shelter know anything about why the dog was abandoned? Any behavioral problems?
5. Any special requirements for feeding this rare animal?

AND SO LONG AS I'M ASKING IMPERTINENT QUESTIONS

1. Why do Nancy's parents encourage her to walk around in ridiculous, over-the-top, fairy princess costumes? (Or whatever they're supposed to be.)
2. Dressing up in this getup apparently every day and everywhere: This is okay with her parents?
3. Who washes this wardrobe? And who does the mending? To this Goodreads author, these duds look way stainable.
4. How much time does this Mommy spend giving her daughter outlandish hairdos, sometimes securing a tiara to her head?
5. Both of Nancy's parents wear teeshirts and jeans. Her mother wears flip-flops. Yet they encourage her to play dressup every single day? Do they hand-sew these garments or what?

IN CONCLUSION

Sure, I'll give this fantasy book FIVE STARS. Better that readers live vicariously in the Fancy style than that they try to talk Mom and Pop into letting them run around in fussy-frilly dresses, then buying an equally show-off-ey dog!

[The Book Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't give this one five stars because it just was missing something. I can't put my finger on what, but it just wasn't my favorite.

I really liked the fancy words, the way she introduces children to new and novel words. This also became a bit awkward at times and became a little bit pretentious, which seems obnoxious to say about a kids book. Some of the new words your child will learn in this book are, posh which means fancy, merci which is French for thank you, ensembles which means groups of things, ecstatic which means happy, and spectacular. Your child will love learning new and different words.

Exciting things are happening for Nancy's family. They have decided to let her have a dog, which is like one of her biggest dreams. She wants a particular puppy called a Papillion puppy, she got this great idea from her neighbor. Of course, her parents are unsure this is really the right puppy for their daughter. So she decides to watch their dog. Quickly she realizes this isn't the type of dog she wants. She goes to the shelter, which is the best place to adopt a dog, and finds a fancy mixed dog named Frenchy. This dog is the perfect one. Nancy couldn't be more excited.

This is super cute and interesting. I really liked the art in this book. The illustrations are just darling, and the drawings of the dogs are the cutest dogs. It wasn't as cute as the first book. I really believe the novelty wore off.

[Kinley Schnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Fancy Nancy wanted so dearly a puppy called a papillon. Her parents said they would buy a dog but there weren’t too fond of the idea of getting a small, petite dog. So nancy decided to dogsit her neighbors to prove to them that this is the type of dog they need. After spending the day with her, Nancy realized that it wouldn’t be a perfect fit for them and they should explore other options. They went to the animal shelter and found a dog they fell in love with.

Response: I personally have always loved Fancy Nancy books ever since I was younger because of the vocabulary, and storyline they use. The book has a hidden lesson that as you progress in the reading it is revealed. The imagery and illustrations used help bring the book to life. I love how the author took a real-life situation of a child wanting a puppy and created a storyline that shows sometimes you need to try things out before making a decision.

Classroom Ideas: This book would be a great way to incorporate the importance of decision making as well as talk about real-life situations that may arise where you need to test things out beforehand. I personally would have the kids pick an item or thing that they really want and make a list of pros that come with it and then discuss maybe some things that could be dangerous, or go wrong.

[Alexis Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching advanced vocabulary in a unique way.

SUMMARY
Fancy Nancy is a very proper and fancy young lady. She wants a dog just like her neighbors. Her neighbor's dog is a Papillon dog; Nancy has been obsessed with this dog for a while. Her neighbor, Mrs. DeVine, has Nancy over to have tea parties, dress up, and they go to the salon with Jewel. Mrs. Devine lets Nancy take Jewel to her house and take care of her for a few days. Nancy’s family is thinking about getting a dog, and Nancy wants them to love the Papillon breed. When Nancy brings Jewel back to her home, she invites her friends over to have a puppy playdate. Nancy realized that Jewel gets tired very quickly and doesn’t like to play fetch or run around the yard like her friend’s dogs do. After Nancy gave Mrs. DeVine gave Jewel back to her she and her family went to the animal shelter. Her family picked out a very fancy looking dog named Frenchy. Frenchy was a big dog and loved to run around the yard and play the game fetch, but she was still fancy enough for Nancy.

[Yessica Cancino]

I would give the book, La elegant Nancy y la perrita popoff, a 5. The book is about a young girl named Nancy and she is fancy. She really wants a fancy dog, like Popoff but here parents say it is to much work. She decided to take care of Popoff for a day so she can show her parents that she is ready and happy for a fancy dog. During this time, Nancy realizes that it is a lot harder and not as fun to have a fancy dog, like Popoff. When Nancy gives the dog back, her parents take her to the pet shelter and there she finds a dog named Fifi that is perfect for her. This book is a fun read, but it is also educational. It uses bigger vocabulary and then defines them. I would have this book in my class for students that Spanish is their first language. It is a piece of home and comfort.

[Khearn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Nancy wants a fancy little dog but, her parents think she should get a big dog instead. So Nancy decides to dog sit a little dog to show her parents that that’s what they needed. However, her little sister scared the little dog. Nancy realizes her parents were right a big, fancy dog is exactly what they needed.

Rating: This is a super cute book. I think the colors are sure to draw in young readers. I also liked how the author uses the book to introduce new words.

Use in Classroom: I would read this book to my class and we would discuss different ways to use some of the words introduced in the book. I would then have other actives where they would be able to practice these new words.

[Violeta Tistova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Picture book

Copyright Date: March 27th, 2007

Thoughts: First of all, the illustrations in this book are so detailed and so good! I usually don't spend as much time looking at a book as I did with this one. I love how Fancy Nancy had the expectation of getting a fancy dog but ended up with a regular dog who she loved even more. It shows being fancy isn't all that fun, sometimes. Really cute story and message. Very well written!

Classroom Use: Would be a good book to read if your students have pet dogs. It would bring a good coversation up about different dogs that they have and would be able to share which dog in the book theirs relates to more.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute, relatable book about Fancy Nancy who wants a puppy. She really wants a fancy breed of dog that her neighbor has. After dog-sitting for a couple days, she finds out that this breed of dog will not fit her family’s style. She is initially upset because her family will not be getting this French, fancy breed of dog. But when they visit the shelter, they find a dog that fits exactly what Nancy – and her family – were looking for. I would definitely use this book for story time in a younger elementary grade because it is a funny, cute story. But more than that, it is rich in vocabulary. It will help younger students obtain rich language for their own using.

[Chloe Berntsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fancy Nancy book series was my absolute favorite growing up, this book in particular was one I insisted on owning myself. It has such fun illustrations and the story line and language used throughout helps keep the reader engaged in the story. Specifically in this book it is about Nancy and her family getting a dog in which Nancy comes to realize it doesn't matter how fancy the dog looks but the fun and love they give! This book can be fun for students that also have a pet at home as they can relate to the friendship created between an animal and their owner. I would definitely have this book in my classroom.

[Xena Elektra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My almost 5 year old loves the bright glittery look of the Fancy Nancy series. Nancy doesn't appeal to me(I'm not anywhere near as fancy!), but my daughter loves glitter and bright clothes and dresses and dolls, and all the things Nancy adores.

She exclaims over Nancy's shoes and hair, and the dogs, and the pool, etc. She didn't care much for the little neighbor dog, but loved the rest of the dogs! This is definitely one of the series that has an interesting storyline that keeps my daughter's attention in addition the beautiful drawings.

[Alexis Tesch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Fancy Nancy books since I discovered them when nannying, which is why I knew I would give this book five stars, but I also love Fancy Nancy's character. Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy focuses on Fancy Nancy's family getting a dog. She originally wants a small, fancy dog, but realizes any dog is the best after her family adopts Frenchy, a La Salle Spaniel. The theme of this book is love, because it is shown between Fancy Nancy and her family but also between her and her dog.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Age: Grades K-4th

[Tabatha Krieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughters and I love the Fancy Nancy series, and "Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy" is no exception. It may even be our favorite. The illustrations are fun and so detailed we see something new each time we read. The story is about how the Clancy family came to have a dog. Nancy, of course, wants the fanciest dog (a Papillion), but while dog sitting for her neighbor's pet Papillion, discovers that what she thought she wanted, might not be right for her and her family. Glitz, glam, dogs, and personal revelation. What's not to like!

[Terry]

My daughter (5) loves this book! She liked the pictures and had me stop on each page, so she could look at all the fancy clothes and hairdos. She laughed a lot, and in the end, she was happy the family found a dog they all liked. The story is a good example of what a normal family may go through while searching for a family dog. Our mom reviewer has more to say in the full review at the Reading Tub.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

We love how Fancy uses a wide vocabulary and explains the words she uses to us. We love how she dog sits the dog she wants to get to see if the dog is right for her. And we love how she is sensitive to what is best for her family.

**Talking points: Did you ever want something and then decided that it wasn't the best thing for your family? Tell us about it. What pet would you get if you could be the one to choose one? Some people like things fancy. Some people like simple. Which one suits you more?