Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy. How Nancy transforms her parents and little sister for one enchanted evening makes for a story that is funny and warm -- with or without the frills. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

With exuberance, elan and lots of heart, O'Connor (the Nina, Nina Ballerina books) and Glasser (A Is for Abigail) prove that the bosom of the family has ample room for even the most outr? individualist. Channeling the spirits of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn-whose pictures adorn her extravagantly decorated room-Nancy tries to make the world a more flamboyant place, starting with her decidedly down-to-earth family ("They never even ask for sprinkles," she notes as they exit an ice cream parlor). She offers her parents and little sister a free tutorial in all things fancy (yellow is plain, gold is fancy), which they gamely attend, and they even agree to go to a restaurant wearing Nancy-orchestrated frou-frou (Mom's ensemble includes Christmas ornament earrings and a feather boa). But when Nancy commits a faux pas of major proportions (she trips with a tray full of ice cream) she comes to realize that her family's love for her is as bottomless as her collection of hair accessories. O'Connor captures Nancy's dramatic precociousness without making her sound like a snoot ("My favorite color is fuchsia. That's a fancy way of saying purple"); she comes across as a genuinely creative spirit rather than an imperious fashionista. Glasser's pictures brim with comic detail and sparkle like a bauble from Tiffany. Like O'Connor, she empathizes with Nancy's over-the-top sensibility, yet gently grounds the heroine in the steady (if bemused) embrace of her family. Ages 4-7. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-K-Young Nancy, like her literary predecessors Eloise and Olivia, is a glamour queen dropped into a boring world-"Nobody in my family is fancy at all. They never even ask for sprinkles." She determines to rescue her relatives from their humdrum existence by giving them lessons and accessorizing their mundane wardrobes. A situation that is charming when observed by adults in real life doesn't translate into a successful picture book. Children pretending to be fabulous creatures is appealing when it is innocent and unforced. This book, despite Glasser's wonderfully energetic artwork, is ultimately a story told by adults for adults.-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-Gr. 2. For Nancy, there's no such thing as too, too much; she loves her frilly bedroom, her lace-trimmed socks, and her pen with a plume. Nancy teaches her family how to be fancy, too. Then following Nancy's lead, the fancied-up family heads for a festive night out (at the local pizzeria). \b A messy food mishap puts a damper on Nancy's joy, but her supportive family and the\b I love you at bedtime smoothes everything out. O'Connor, the author of the Nina, Nina Ballerina stories, delivers a delightful story of dress-up and cozy family love, with a charming protagonist who enjoys, and enjoys sharing, glamour. Nancy's perky narrative, in short, simple sentences, incorporates some fancy vocabulary for kids to absorb ( stupendous, posh), along with a sense of the rewards of a family doing things together. The cheerfully colored art is aptly exuberant, a riotous blending of color and pattern and action. A book sure to appeal to girls' inner princesses--and inspire new ensembles and decor. --Shelle Rosenfeld Copyright 2006 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.