Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany

Fancy Nancy

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

From the dazzling bestselling duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, a picture book with an educational twist for the fancy girl with an even fancier vocabulary. Fancy words are simply fascinating! Learn how to speak fancy with help from Nancy in this A–Z guide. From everyone's favorite fancy girl comes an alphabetical guide to enhancing vocabulary. Why say "beautiful" when there are fancy words like "gorgeous" and "glamorous"? Instead of "hello," try "bonjour," which is French and so much fancier! An umbrella will keep you dry, but a parasol will make you feel like a Hollywood movie star! With this helpful A-to-Z guide, Fancy Nancy shows that making plain words into fancy ones is not only educational, it's fun. Glossary of words included.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, School, 1st Grade, Audiobook

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 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

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a first grade art teacher, I LOVE the idea behind Fancy Nancy. I am troubled by how young girls are confusing their love of frill with sexiness.I feel that many of the media characters they love and emulate add fuel to this problem. But as a former young girl, I understand the appeal of fancy things.
Fancy Nancy is different from Bratz, Disney princesses, and Hannah Montana. She's adorable and appeals to the pink and pretty aesthetic that girls this age are addicted to. But unlike other little girl icons, she is about the fun of being a kid, and not sex appeal.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really would've liked this book when I was a kid! It's basically an alphabet book for older kids featuring lots of fancy words. Each one is illustrated (with pictures you'll probably recognize from other Fancy Nancy titles, if you've read enough of them) and used in a sentence so readers can get context.

There's not much more to say about this one. But if you like Fancy Nancy and her fancy words, this is probably a book you'll want to add to your collection.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy usually captivates my 4 year old, but this one was more teach-y than silly. The educator in me appreciates that it teaches great vocab words, and shows that kids don't have to be afraid of long words. However, my girl quickly lost interest in this book because it lacked a storyline, which is of course what makes Fancy Nancy books so...well, splendiferous!

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

A words book which feature illustrations from her other picture books.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who wants to use a boring word like "disaster", when you can use a fancy word, like "fiasco"? This is a fun little book full of fancy words for every letter of the alphabet (with their definitions too, of course!) I can never get enough of Fancy Nancy. The illustrations are always fantastic and she's by far my favorite character to read out loud. My daughter is 8 and should probably start feeling too old for Fancy Nancy pretty soon, but I think she still asks me to read these books to her to indulge me.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book and great way to expand kid's vocabulary! Nancy says that when you add these words into your everyday conversation, it's like "adding sprinkles to vanilla ice cream!" So true :-)

The illustrations are charming, as ever--and that is where the problem arises, in my eyes. I believe all (or certainly most) of them are simply replicated from other Fancy Nancy books, so you won't really get anything "new" here.

[Kinlee Brown]

This story is about a little girl known as Fancy Nancy. This book is all about the fancy words she uses. Each page is a new word to add to your vocabulary along with lots of bright colors and beautifully illustrated pictures. The story line follows Nancy while she talks about her favorite place: France. Ooh La La!

I liked this book because I remember reading it as a kid and loving all of the fun colors. I remember looking at every outfit Fancy Nancy wore and wanting to dress just like her. It was fun to try and pronounce her fancy words and think about ways to use them.

I think this is a great book to have in an elementary classroom either as a read-aloud or library book. It will help students increase their vocabulary at a young age. Small children do not get to hear words being used in everyday conversation like excursion, dapper, or fiasco. This kind of exposure could be very beneficial for them.

[Scott Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany
Author: Jane O'Connor
Awards: N/A

Summary: Fancy Nancy delivers a unique vocabulary walk through the alphabet in this K-1 appropriate text. My daughters love the fancy nancy book collection and continually try to use her "fancy" word choices in day to day conversations. This is another excellent source for expanding a child's vocabulary in a fun and unique way.

Review / Application: This book is an excellent addition to a Kindergartner study of alphabet books. I would use this text to broaden our vocabulary as a class. Perhaps choosing several words from the book to add to our own vocabulary understanding. A mini-lesson might demonstrate that Alphabet books contain "fancy" words.

[Toni Chahine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany written by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser uses humor to help enhance children's vocabulary. There are cute pictures and sentences with the vocabulary word in it to show kids what the word would look like in a picture or sentence. First the book defines the word in a humorous way. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book as well. I rated this a 4 out of 5 because I feel this book is more addressed to a girl. I do not think a younger boy would be interested in this, but I did enjoy this book a lot.

[Amanda Badgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy rolls through each letter of the alphabet to tell fancy words, their definitions, and using them in sentence. Although the concept of this book is very simple, I believe it can be helpful to children who are writing. By introducing students to more sophisticated words it can inspire them to use the same sort of vocabulary in their own writing. The colorful and detailed illustrations help make this book more engaging but seems as though it could overshadow the simple text.

[Whitney Inlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fun to read. I loved the colors and illustrations used. If I was a young girl, I would spend hours reading all of her books. I love that Jane O'Connor uses "fancy" words for the alphabet. The only complaint I would have, is I wish there would have been a story instead of only a definition for each word.

[Leilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is me and my daughter's first Fancy Nancy book that we checked out from the library, and we enjoyed it a lot! As a kindergartener learning how to read, she loved learning the new words, particularly "ooh la la", "dapper," and "parasol." The drawings are super cute and detailed as well. She now wants to check out for Fancy Nancy books.

[Robert Shupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fancy Nancy series lives up well especially for young girls.
This one does not tell a story but does embrace celebrating language and words. We can never be too old to expand our vocabulary and this book was a fun way to explore that.
The art continues to delight. If you were hoping for a linear story than this is not it but it still serves its purpose I the formidable Fancy Nancy style.

[Zariah Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books! This book teaches students new vocabulary in such a creative way. This book also gives students the idea of creating and using a new word in a sentence. I would definitely use this book in my classroom.

[Heidi Trowbridge]

Date read: 10/29/20
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Grade Range: PreK-3
Reflection: Fancy Nancy loves all things fancy including words. Words from Accessories to Zany fill this book from the lovable Nancy. I used to read this book to my daughter.

[Alexandria Mizell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember loving fancy Nancy when I was little and I definitely remember now why. This book was just so cute and I love how it teaches the kids more vocabulary and uses the vocabulary in sentences so kids know how to use them. Very cute kids book for teaching vocabulary words!

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy shares her favorite fancy words from A to Z starting with "accessories" going to "zany." This book will please any Fancy Nancy fan and it is a great way to introduce young readers to some big words.

[Lauren Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books, the pictures are very fun and children will enjoy reading it. It’s funny at times, and this particular one teaches a lot of new vocabulary words like fiasco, canine, and souvenir.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a niece who I know will love this. I can see her incorporating these words into her daily conversations.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love words! This book shows words in their fabulousness with interesting and bright illustrations and in sentences using chosen magnificent words.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exquisite words in this collection. I’m not a major fan of Fancy Nancy, but she does a lovely job adding fancy words to readers’ vocabularies!

[Amanda Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story. I read this to my preschoolers and it was fun to introduce them to new words, especially words that are "fancy". The girls love Fancy Nancy.

[Katie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The vocabulary in this book is amazing. This would be great for younger children learning vocabulary.

[Morgan Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book for older toddlers to learn the alphabet with--especially if they are fans of Fancy Nancy.

[Sara Tiede · Rating 5 out of 5]

In our house, we love alphabets, and we love Fancy Nancy. What better than combining them!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

BV Library Checkout.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing way to introduce kids to new words.

[Ken Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breathtaking masterpiece. I begin every night of drinking & drugging by reading this refined piece of literature.

[Philip Schulze · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and delightful book! A playful and enjoyable way to not only introduce new vocabulary but also a new way to look at everyday objects. My 4-year-old niece absolutely gobbled this book up and wants to read the entire series. Great book!

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fancy Nancy books were recommended to us by family for our daughter, to help her develop her vocabulary in a fun, funny and witty way. Wonderfully written and excellently illustrated this book is both a pleasure to read and look at. Fancy Nancy in a sweet charming way introduces young readers to big words, but in such a way that the children will remember and be able to use them. What a wonderful little book. I cannot wait for more Fancy Nancy to come into our hands to read together.