Just Plain Fancy

by Patricia Polacco

A charming picture book set in an Amish community, by the beloved storyteller Patricia Polacco.Naomi lives with her farming family in an Amish village in Pennsylvania. As part of her household chores, Naomi looks after the chickens with her little sister, Ruth.One day Naomi and Ruth find an abandoned egg near the road. Naomi decides this special egg must be hatched. And when it is, it's plain to see that this is no ordinary chick!The girls keep the chick, named Fancy, a secret . . . until the day of their family's community working bee. On this day, Naomi is to receive a white organdy cap, an Amish tradition, as a reward for her hard work and responsibility. But on this day, too, Fancy the chick decides to introduce himself to the community!The results are a sheer delight, pure and simple. Accompanied by Patricia Polacco's beautiful artwork, this story of discovery and growing up will stay in the hearts of all who turn its pages.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Amish, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1990

About the author

Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This story tells you about some Amish girls who find an unusual egg with their hens eggs. When they discover this bird is no ordinary chicken they are worried the bird will be shunned for being too fancy so try to hide their friend. I really liked most of the story, the illustrations were lovely and I was looking forward to a look into Amish life but I did feel uncomfortable that these girls should be worried that their bird would be shunned or indeed a person, should they be deemed as too fancy. Obviously this isn't Patricia Polacco's view but the community she is showing but I didn't like that view or the fact the girls were so worried about it.

Read on open library

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now while I have definitely appreciated the story of how Naomi and her little sister Ruth unknowingly raise a peacock chick (an ornate and extravagant bird species) along with their hens, personally, I do find it rather problematic that Naomi's family, that her Amish elders had not already told her the main point of difference between the Amish stricture against fancy dressing (which is against their traditions and rules, but is first and foremost also a personal choice) and animals such as peacocks who are by nature (and if one believes in God, by His creation, showy and ostentatious). For while I was reading Just Plain Fancy, I could not help but ask myself why Naomi would have to be so worried about her "Fancy" about her hand raised peacock being possibly shunned for his naturally elaborate in structure and decoration appearance, as in my humble opinion, the difference between a bird that has by nature showy and beautiful plumage (or any animal that looks magnificent, stately and florid for that matter) and humans who do have a choice of dressing fancy or not, of personally following the Amish rules and regulations about plain living and appearance, that should at least in my humble opinion be a major point and part of Amish life and beliefs and also something that would need to be told to children as early as possible (so as to avoid the kind of painful confusion experienced by Naomi and by extension Ruth).

And thus, while Just Plain Fancy has most definitely been an engaging and enjoyable reading experience for me (such as is usually the case with Patricia Polacco's picture books), and that especially the accompanying illustrations do show not only movement and emotion but also meticulously detail Amish culture, life and dress, I still cannot rank Just Plain Fancy with more than three stars (a high three stars, but three stars just the same), as it really does personally bother me a bit how in Patricia Polacco's narrative, Naomi has to face all of this doubt and serious worry about her peacock being too ornamented, too showy and extravagant (and thus in danger of being shunned) simply because her family, her Amish community had not enlightened her regarding the difference between natural adornment and people, humans "artificially" decorating themselves, wearing elaborate and not plain clothing.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I just loved this. The story (via illustrations) starts even before the title page, which was a fun touch.

This is the story of two Amish sisters (and Polacco did her research about the Amish) who find an exotic egg and put it in the nest of one of their chickens in order to have it hatch. Naomi, the older sister, just once wants something fancy, being tired of having everything plain, as in the Amish tradition. The story is funny and sweet.

The only quibble I have with this story is that I can’t believe girls of this age, growing up in the Amish community, would not already know what the word shun meant.

This is another winner by Polacco, and I especially enjoyed it because it’s a bit different from many of her books. The illustrations are terrific, as is usual for Polacco. The two-page spread with the hatched bird, even though I knew what was coming (not all children will know what to expect) was particularly beautiful, and I liked the depiction of these Amish people and their community; the expressions on the faces of the little girls are wonderful.

I’ve always been interested in the Amish and this is a terrific book for introducing their culture to young children.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just plain sweet and adorable! A thoughtful and sensitive book, especially regarding how children interpret religion into their own lives.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polacco's stories are often about real children going about their daily lives (including chores). She then chooses one incident to turn into a story, which makes her tales very believable.

A hankering for something fancy when living in a plain world would be a natural desire for any child. Here Naomi learns that nature can provide examples of 'fancy' that are acceptable in her community. The kids like this story ... a lot. (Some her books seem to target adults more than kids.)

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Naomi and her younger sister Ruth discover an unusual egg by the side of the road - a fancy speckled egg! - the two young Amish girls put it in with one of their hens, and wait eagerly for it to hatch. The bird which eventually emerges is as unusual as it egg, proving that what was inside was just as fancy as what was outside. And so the new hatchling is named just that - Fancy! But when the girls learn that a member of their community has been shunned for violating the Amish rule about simplicity and plainness - for being too fancy - they become concerned for their new charge, and for themselves. Can Amish girls keep something "fancy," or will their pavonine pet get them into serious trouble...?

Although adult readers will probably guess Fancy's identity before the climactic scene in which the Amish elders first get a glimpse of his beauty, young readers might very well be surprised (and thrilled) at the gorgeous revelation. Elder Martha's explanation that Fancy's finery is of a different kind than humanity's - the kind made by God - is just one element of a story that will provide readers with some insight into Amish beliefs and traditions. Somewhat of a departure from many of Polacco's books - which often seem to be based on her own family and history - Just Plain Fancy is a book I would recommend to any child who has ever longed for something a little different, or who has an interest in the Amish, as well as to fans of the author/artist.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the ending to be a little conflicting. It certainly sends mixed signals about whether God likes things fancy or not. The Amish aren't supposed to be fancy because it would go against their way - but a peacock, that God made, can be fancy.

If you do read it, just be prepared for a few questions about the Amish's way of life and what God thinks about being fancy.

Ages: 5 - 9

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Plain Fancy is a remarkable story about two young Amish girls that hope for something fancy to come into their plain lives. The two girls are responsible for caring for the chickens and when a peculiar egg is found they have the pleasure of having something fancy.

Polacco's writing and illustrations are stunning as usual and I appreciate the realness of the little girls. They do not fully understand an adult concept and many children will relate to having the same confusing/bothersome feelings about big concepts.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite of Polacco's books. I loved her treatment of the Amish--realistic without being demeaning or critical. I loved the explanation of why Fancy was "allowed" to be "fancy" when the people placed such emphasis on being "plain." And I loved the way the narrative starts even before the text; the illustrations on the title and dedication pages are worth paying attention to! They're a great way to encourage children to start making predictions and noticing all the details that go into a story.

My one quibble, and this may knock my rating down to 4.5 stars, is the same as another reviewer's: the girls, one of whom is about to get her "white" cap (and be recognized as "older"--not a little girl anymore, but I don't know if they'd call her a "woman" yet either), and her younger sister don't seem to know what "shun" means in their community. Perhaps it doesn't happen enough for them to have been exposed to it, but it did strike me as a touch off (although it didn't bother my children in the least).

They all recognized what kind of bird Fancy would turn out to be even before I did.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polacco weaves even more into this revealing look at Amish life than the white hat wearing womenfolk sewing a quilt. The rich language of the Amish, the traditions steeped in history, and the big ideas of acceptance and being true to oneself help make this one a sure "do-over" (my youngest's term for a book that should be read over and over again).

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love Patricia Polacco's stories and read all of the ones we can find at our local library. Her storytelling is magic and her illustrations are very recognizable and often very expressive. We've been reading her books for almost two years now and we are always on the hunt for one that we haven't read yet.

This story depicts the Amish culture in all its simplicity, helpfulness and strict adherence to its laws. The narrative is engaging and the characters are very expressive. I love the reaction of the community to the surprise at the end. And I also love that this book exposes our girls a little bit to a culture that is far different from our own. We really enjoyed reading this story together and we will certainly look for another one of her books at the library soon.

[Mirissa Holbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one book that I can remember reading as a child. I remember I picked up on the word "shun" and used it all the time in conversation and used to tell people I was going to shun them if they made me mad. Reading this as an adult, it wasn't quite as intriguing, but it is a children's book, after all. I did like the how the book was mostly muted colors until the peacock was drawn. It made the contrast between Fancy and the Amish people much more distinct and made him look quite beautiful. My biggest concern with this is that it talks about Amish culture but never explains why they strive to be plain and demure. Instead it just talks about a woman being shunned because she was "fancy," and that's something a child might not understand.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Known for their simple life style, the Amish live together bound by a strict set of rules that must be followed.

Naomi longs for something fancy in her life. When she and her sister are collecting eggs, they notice one that is uniquely beautiful and different. Keeping the egg, watching as it hatches, they call the chick fancy.

As the chick preens and stands out from the others, Naomi is very afraid it will be shunned.
One day in particular, the chick escapes the hen house and unfolds an incredibly spectacular torquoise multi-colored display of feathers.

And, to Naomi's relief, rather than shunning, the elders believe the peacock is indeed the handi work and miracle of God.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by practicum teacher for EDRL 442. Used it. Great book to positively introduce Amish culture and some common terms that they use. The children are worried that Fancy (an animal whose species I will not reveal) will get them shunned because she is too flashy and the Amish favor plainness. The girls, though, learn a valuable lesson about God and His creations once Fancy's true identity becomes known. Great illustrations. Drawn with pencil and oil pastel/paint. Some hands not drawn realistically.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this is an adequate introduction to Amish culture, and yet I do think that it presents itself to be. As a story, after all, it just doesn't make sense, as Naomi would already know what shunning means, and how birds (and autumn leaves, and flowers, and lizards...) are designed by God and so it's okay for them to be fancy. And yet as an educational work about diversity, it raises far more questions than it answers. Cute, worth a read, but imo too flawed for four stars.

[Janet Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me this book was a surprising plot for Patricia Polacco because it had an amish twist to it. I really enjoyed it however, it was informational about their culture and it has a surprising twist. I felt like it was almost similar to the story of the ugly ducking because of the ending but I loved the pictures and the ending to the story.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like all the Polacco books.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter the topic, Polacco handles it with utmost respect. Her picture books on Jewish traditions are some of my very favorites. In Just Plain Fancy, the Amish lifestyle is highlighted when two young girls come into possession of an odd egg that hatches into an even odder bird. But sometimes, you're just born to stand out. Sensitive, perfectly plotted, and illustrated for greatest "wow" effect, I adored every second of Fancy.

[Jade Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story tells the tale of a little Amish girl who takes care of her chicken eggs and to her surprise one comes out more fancy than the others. Afraid that the elders will shun him, they hide the chicken, but he escapes. Patricia Polacco tells such strong multicultural stories. She uses her imagination in combination with things that have touched her life to make her stories come to. In Just Plain Fancy, she does an excellent job of not only letting listeners into the life of an Amish girl, but she also shows that it is okay to be who you are. The story revolves around a community, but it sticks to the facts. Whenever you see a Patricia Polacco book, you immediately know that it is one of her books. Her illustrations are so uniquely her own. She uses a combination of pentel markers, acrylic paint, pencils and oil pastels. The drawings in her stories are usually illustrations of the real people that the stories are about. Most of the pages are double page spreads, but a few are single pages with text on both. Her illustrations are simple, yet detailed and every line is done in a way to make it look realistic. Around the illustrations, white space is used and the text is written in the white space. Just Plain Fancy will help children see into another culture that isn’t their own and possibly connect with the young girl.



A note from Jade:

I absolutely LOVE Patricia Polacco. I will be reviewing more of her work later in the year, but I encourage you to take a look at her website if you haven’t done so already and look at the list of books she has written/illustrated. Go to the library and check as many as you can out! Every story is unique and distinctly its own. It will give you children and/or students a chance to maybe see the light shined on cultures that they didn’t know existed. You won’t be disappointed.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this picture book written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, Kaleb is raising his two daughters in Amish country on a farm. They live a plain life and follow the rules of their people. Naomi the older sister is in charge of the chickens and her younger sister Ruth. Polacco gives the reader some background on the Amish people throughout the story through the dialogue of the characters. Throughout the story, Naomi is waiting for the honor of wearing a white cap on her head. She wishes for something fancy in her life where everything is so plain. One day, Naomi and Ruth find an abandoned egg in the tall grass, thinking it was a chicken egg they brought it to a nest to be hatched. The egg is hatched and cared for, but the chick is quite different than any other baby chicken they have seen. This "fancy" egg brings brightness into Naomi's life and finally gets her what she wants.

Patricia Polacco uses lovely pictures to illustrate this Amish community that comes to life. The story is well written and has a few opportunities for a vocabulary lesson. I would use this book for 2nd-3rd grade as a read aloud. Bringing out the vocabulary words used to describe the Amish people would be beneficial for understanding: the characters talk about "shunning" in the community and it is explained in the text. A mini lesson about a different culture might also help students to understand the Amish way of life: a good social studies segway for discussion.

[Olivia Lagore]

I marked this as both contemporary realistic fiction and historical fiction because it can go either way. The Amish way of life has not changed much over the years, in fact, they pride themselves on staying simple and the same.
In this story, two young girls, Naomi and Ruth, find a strange chicken egg while caring for their fowl. Allowing it to hatch, they find that it is not at al plain like the other chickens, in fact they decide to name it "Fancy" for its wild feathers. After overhearing two older girls talk about someone being shunned for wearing too much fancy clothing, the two little girls fear Fancy will also be shunned and decide to hide their pet. When Fancy gets free and the whole community sees her however, the children's grandmother reassures them that because God made the peacock that way, it should not be shunned for being beautiful.
The book's rising action is carried in part by the fact that we can only see Fancy's upper body throughout most of the book, it is not until he escapes that we finally see his full and beautiful tail. Thus, the illustrations and the text pair together to create a sense of suspense.
This would be a good book to introduce students to the idea of the Amish way of life as it is a fun and engaging story that addresses the idea of shunning, but not in an entirely negative light. Although the book would need to be followed by more information, perhaps several non-fiction books with lots of pictures, it does make a good introduction.

[Kolbi Dixon]

Just Plain Fancy was rather interesting to me in showing children how being different or not meeting a certain standard isn't always considered wrong. In this case they are referring to a egg and a bird hatches that is not like the other birds they have farmed with. Going off of what they had been taught growing up since the bird was so different they thought it was wrong and the adults would become angry. Sometimes the things that's different about us is what makes us beautiful or unique. I think this would be a good book for second through fourth grade because that's around the age students start to pick out the differences or stereotypes that linger among us. This will give them a different view of things like the children received a different view in the book. Also in the book it showed how the adults reassured them that this difference was okay so it also shows how teachers or faculty members could play apart. I love the symbolism.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Plain Fancy (1990), written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, tells the story of Amish girl Naomi who is tired of everything being plain in her world. So when one of her eggs, a fancy one, hatches into a fancy bird, she's thrilled...until she becomes worried that the fancy bird will shunned.

Themes: Amish culture; Raising Animals

Ways to use with children:
*Read and discuss how we are all different and that differences should be celebrated.
*Have students create colorful peacocks whose feathers fan out.

Additional Info:
Multicultural

[Amanda Hlava · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about Amish girls who want to have something fancy, but it is not part of their culture to have fancy things. They find a "chicken" egg that hatches and turns out to be a peacock. They have finally found something fancy that they can enjoy looking at.

This would be a good story to read to students that have Amish members in the community so that they can do a unite on their culture.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a perfectly good realistic story of an Amish Girl who just want's something fancy, even though it goes against her culture. She ends up finding a "fancy" egg and is surprised to see what it turns into. The illustrations looked like colored pencil and were too drab (likely purposefully) for my taste. They were realistic/traditional in style. I don't enjoy religion in my picture books but if you do, you might enjoy this more.

[Priscilla Schelling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story with a nice twist. I like how it teaches people about the Amish practice and tradition without making it seem weird or odd. Also, I liked the message it brought... That what their God made (fancy) was accepted and loved. That beauty could be cherished after all! Comical and creative!

[Jessica Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had a nice twist at the end that I wasn't expecting. It also teaches about the amish people and their way of living which would be cool to use in a classroom if you had a student who practiced that. This book also sends a message that no matter how different someone or something else may be, they/it is still important and should be treated with respect.

[Logan Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book that allows young readers to become aware of the amish comomunity. Very good book that teaches morals about life throughout the story. The book also sends a message that no matter how different someone or something else may be, they/it is still important and should be treated with respect.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to a group of 2nd graders as part of curriculum

I enjoyed this book about an Amish girl who worries that because she wants something "fancy" she'll be shunned by her community. I love that it opened up lots of discussion about people of different cultures and different beliefs. The surprise "fancy" at the end is a great ending to the story!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Plain Fancy is an Amish tale about when it is ok to be fancy and when it is proper to be plain. When one of Henny's eggs hatches and is undeniably fancy, little Ruth and Naomi worry that the creature will be shunned. Their fears are put to rest when the elders tell them that the peacock's colors are fanciful, yes, but also God's creation.