Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire!: A Delightful Picture Book About Creativity, Words, and Becoming a Young Poet for Kids

Fancy Nancy

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

Calling all poets!

Fancy Nancy Clancy is so poetic, even her name rhymes. And with limericks, couplets, free verse, and more, poetry is plenty fancy! So when her teacher Ms. Glass gives Nancy and her classmates an assignment to come up with their very own poems, Nancy is determined to write one that is superb. But what happens when she can't think of a good idea?

Complete with Nancy's very own poetry anthology, Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire! shows how a true love of words can be très fancy. Ooh la la! And with a little inspiration, which is fancy for something that helps you get good ideas, Fancy Nancy just might be a Poet Extraordinaire after all.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Fiction, Writing, Kids, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2010

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 4 out of 5]

This is another quasi-non-fictional Fancy Nancy title, this time teaching kids about poetry. Nancy's teacher, Ms. Glass, gives the kids an assignment: write a poem. The poems will be written on paper leaves so they can go on the Poet-Tree (a cardboard tree on the classroom's wall). Nancy then gets to learn about different kinds of poems. Sometimes they rhyme, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they're serious. They can be started by using the letters in a word. They can even be song lyrics! But Nancy has a problem: inspiration just won't strike. Until it does, she just has to keep exploring the wonderful world of poetry. (Little does she know that inspiration has been sitting right in front of her the whole time!)

The book features quite a few poems. Nancy goes around asking people their favourites, and most of those are included (except for her dad's, but those are Bob Dylan song lyrics, so I'm assuming that either they weren't appropriate for kids or the publisher couldn't get the rights). Nancy also shares a notebook of some of her favourite (kid-friendly) poems.

I didn't like this one quite as much as Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! But it's still a fairly strong picture book, and it does teach kids quite a bit about poetry. I would still recommend it, especially to Fancy Nancy fans.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy returns in this second partly fictional, partly non-fictional picture-book, following upon Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! . This installment of the sub-series - these are smaller books than the full-sized Fancy Nancy picture-books, and are not completely fictional, as those stories are - focuses on poetry: what it is, what styles it encompasses, and how to write it. As Nancy's class at school focuses on the subject, our favorite fancy heroine attempts to write a poem of her own, only to struggle with the assignment. Will she be able to get over her writer's block...?

Like its predecessor, Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire! manages to be both informative and entertaining, describing various poems, poets, and poetic forms. There is a section at the rear which includes a selection of poems, many of them written for children. These include: Five Little Pumpkins, X.J. Kennedy's In the Motel, Douglas Florian's Picking Berries, Marie Louise Allen's First Snow, Arnold Lobel's Polliwog School, and Jack Prelutsky's As Soon As Fred Gets Out of Bed. The artwork by Robin Preiss Glasser is every bit as appealing here as in previous titles. All in all, a sweet addition to the body of Fancy Nancy stories. My only quibble would be that the author mentions that Nancy's mother's favorite poem is Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee (which was one of my own favorites as a girl), but it isn't quoted in the story like the others, nor is it included at the rear. Leaving aside that oversight, this is one I enjoyed, and that I would recommend to Fancy Nancy fans, and young would-be poets.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

another cute Nancy book!! I loved it like the others I've read.

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Fancy Nancy adventure.

[Melenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little story

[livii · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn fancy words then this is the book you need.

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy is so fun, and she likes poetry too.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Dylan and Edgar Allan Poe references in a children's book--love.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a name like Fancy Nancy, you know the girl in this story is going to get a kick out of poetry - and, with any luck, her enthusiasm for poems will spread to young readers just beginning to understand the true magic of words and reading. I must say I found Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire! to be an excellent children's book. A number of modern books in this genre are, from my adult perspective, full of gibberish and nonsense with no interconnecting theme or unifying goal. This particular book, though, actually tells a story and incorporates poetry of various kinds into that story in a most effective way. Robin Preiss Glasser's beautiful illustrations will surely add even more to children's enjoyment of Jane O'Connor's story.

Fancy Nancy's class is studying poetry, and each student has to compose a poem of his/her own. Nancy wants to write a great poem that will please her teacher, Miss Glass. Unsure what to write about, she begins compiling a collection of favorite poems from her friends and family along with a couple of sample poems written by her fellow students. As she goes about compiling this personal book of poems, she seeks and eventually finds the inspiration she needs to write a good poem of her own.

Readers learn that poems can be fun, that they don't have to rhyme, that rhythm is an essential component of a good poem, that there are several different types of poetry (such as limericks and odes), the meaning of inspiration - and, most importantly, the fact that reading and writing poetry can be fun. I'm not sure how many boys are going to want to sit down with a Fancy Nancy book (since, as a girl, she presumably has cooties), but the books in this series really are wonderful books for parents to share with their younger children.

[Becca Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a sweet girl named Nancy who loves to be fancy by using big words, like inspiration or superb. She is learning all about poetry in her class, and did a survey where she asked all sorts of people what their favorite poems were, but now she has to write her very own poem, and it is proving harder than she thought, especially since her classmates have written some pretty awesome poems already. She experiences some writers block until her teacher tells her that she is creative and that there really are no rules to poetry. After lots of time spent in the Palace of Poetry, she ends up writing a beautiful poem all about her teacher, which she learns is called an ode. The main theme of this story is that everyone can be creative, you just have to find some inspiration and let the ideas come to you.

I personally love this story because it reminds me of when I was a young girl like Nancy. I loved writing, and I would come up with all these fun stories and put them in my special notebook (which also had a glitter cover, for extra inspiration). I remember that after a while, it got more difficult to come up with new stories, and I experienced writers block quite a lot. Luckily, like Nancy, I had a really supportive teacher that always reminded me that I could come up with new stories because I'm creative.

I would recommend this book to anyone that doubts their creativity, but especially girls, because I think the fun illustrations and Nancy's sassy attitude will really appeal to them. I also really love how this book teaches new vocabulary in a fun way - by using "fancy" words!

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite Fancy Nancy book to date. It is not only a discussion of Nancy learning to write poetry, but is also a collection of her own poems and other famous poems that she has enjoyed. The book addresses different forms of poetry, what is needed to create strong poetry, and even what to do if you get writer's block. The end of the book shows an anthology of poetry that Nancy is collecting and encourages readers to start their own anthology.

As always, the book introduces good vocabulary and then defines the words in parenthesis, all in the narrator's voice. These "fancy" words and how much Nancy enjoys them models a strong love of learning.

This book is not written in typical left-to-right text. It is a mixture of labeled pictures, lists, example poems, and discussions all along side the ongoing narrative story. As a result, I would not suggest this book as an independent read unless the student is a late transitional reader or an intermediate reader. However, it could be used as an interesting one-on-one read aloud for younger readers.

[Amy Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know. 5 stars? I just can't help it, I LOVE Fancy Nancy. Her attempts at poetry appeal to all age groups (and her results are far better than anything I could ever turn out). This is a fun way to introduce poetry to a little one. And my sister, a bona fide poet, will be thrilled to learn that Fancy Nancy's teacher, the beloved Ms. Glass, assures EVERYONE that poetry does NOT have to rhyme. Totally tipped the scales in favor of that fifth star.

[maddykorneychuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Robin (the illustrator) and my mom went to her house the other day and wanted her to sign some of my fancy nancy books. And after she gave us some free books which will probably also be on my book list soon!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy spans the age spectrum. It started with picture books, then there are easy readers, and chapters books under Nancy Clancy. Plus some subject books. This is a subject book. Nancy uses her teachers knowledge to tell us what she has learned about poetry. She even includes a little anthology at the end. Not a bad book, but not one of my favorite in the series. I actually found it a little boring.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy, and her classmates learn all about poetry. Ms. Glass assigns Nancy and her classmates to write their own poem. Nancy has writer's block, but finally comes up with a superb idea for a poem. With a little inspiration ( a fancy word for something that helps you get good ideas) Nancy writes an ode, which she thinks is fancy. She adds it to her anthology ( a fancy word for a collection of poems.)

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our daughter picked out Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire from the library. It is very colorful with lots of different types of font for the text depending on whether it is the main story, a notation in her notebook, or a poem being printed.

I don't think I will be looking for other books featuring Fancy Nancy but I wouldn't necessarily say no if our daughter wanted to read another in the series.

[Shaalini · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read Fancy Nancy:Poet Extraordinare by Jane O Connor. It's about a teacher named Mrs Glass who gives assignment to Nancy and her classmates to wite poems of there own. So Nancy was determined in writing nice poems of her own. I enjoyed these type of books because it's a interesting story book to read with friends and family. Although I recommend the book to an a eight year old children those who also like to read interesting books.
By: Shaalini Gogineni

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss 2 and I like to explore different books at the library and try to get different ones out every week or so. We're reading our way through the Fancy Nancy series as we both really like the books. This isn't my favourite of the books as far as the stories go but I like that it aims to present poetry in an approachable and easy to write way.

[Shannon]

I’m honestly tired of Fancy Nancy, but my child adores her and requests this and others every single night. 🥴 As with the other children’s books, I’m counting them to remember what she loved best during these ages, and because much of what would have been my reading time is used to read aloud to her. Also, 200 readings of a short book surely ought to add up to something. 😁

[Victoria Coody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for introducing and teaching poetry to your students or kids at home. This book is super cute and is about a girl named Nancy trying to find inspiration to write the best poem she can. I enjoyed this book and the poems are a mixture of serious, funny, and a lot of different kinds of poems. The illustrations are also great. I enjoyed this book.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grades: Pre-k,1-2
Genre: Poetry
I love how Nancys teacher gives them assignment on poetry, and Nancy has to make the poem as fancy as she can. The pictures are always very cute in these types of books. I love this little read, and would definitely use this in my classroom one day. Rate 5-5

[Ian McHugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely idea! The promotion of poetry to young readers and the dispelling of a few myths about poetry all in one. The book encourages the reader to begin their own anthology. Flo began straight away after reading. Result!

[Ayren Daniels]

This book teaches about different types of poetry. I like that it happens in a fun way. It also gives ideas for the classroom and the teacher's feedback. I liked that it talks about how not to give up just because you get stuck but to keep trying.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, but I think my daughter was a little confused because she was expecting more of a story. It's less that and more of an introduction to poetry. Not bad, just not really what she was looking for in a Fancy Nancy book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always want to encourage my students to be poets! Poetry is such a fun art form to explore and fancy Nancy has so much fun exploring poetry!

[Mel Beags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about poetry

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 3.5 year old loved it. We read it over and over.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hav loved the poems.

[Mallory Ong]

This is a cute poetry book about fabulous fancy Nancy.
Lexile Level- 540L
Grades- Pre-k-2

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little too wordy and a little older audience than the original. I'm not a huge poetry fan and my 4.5yo wanted more plot.