In 2005, author Jane O’Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser released the children’s book, Fancy Nancy. The adorable book spent 100 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list and spiraled into 80+ titles, a chapter book, a musical, and a children’s TV series for Disney Jr.
The book focuses on a young girl, Nancy, and her fabulous life. She loves anything fancy, French, and large words like “exquisite.” Dressing up and using her imagination are her favorite activities, as she spends her days with her friends and family.
Sentences like “My favorite color is fuchsia. That’s a fancy way of saying purple” are said throughout the book to teach readers fun ways to say basic words.
I didn’t grow up reading Fancy Nancy, but I couldn’t help but smile as I read the colorful pages to my 3-year-old. After reading the same book over and over again (Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy), I saw the fruits of my labor when my daughter started using the more elaborate words Nancy uses.
Fancy Nancy Teaches Big Words In Fun Ways
Nancy introduces fancy words in real-time, making them more understandable and relatable for children. Hearing a familiar word paired with a larger, more elaborate word in the same sentence allows readers to comprehend the context simultaneously.
Nancy doesn’t just say intricate words; she uses them in ways that readers can understand. Phrases like “I was devastated — that means really, really sad” allow kids to learn isolated definitions or emotions.
In general, Nancy is a fabulous little girl who lives lavishly (in her mind). She loves dramatics, high fashion, and everything feminine. It’s hard not to be enthralled with her world, all while learning a vast vocabulary.
Personally, after continuously reading Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy with my daughter before school started, she began repeating the decorated words Nancy used. Words like posh, papillon, and ensembles were all ingrained in my daughter’s memory as she tried to repeat what she had heard.
Because of the fun, effortless way Nancy shares big words, my daughter has grasped the definitions and contexts of many fancy words. Who knew?
Now, she integrates Nancy’s fancy words into her imagination when using her dolls or playing outside. As Nancy would say, it’s been sublime (that’s a fancy word for wonderful)!
Reading To Your Kids Pays Off
New parents are constantly told how important it is to read to their children. The Child Mind Institute shared that even at a young age, babies are designed to grow language skills.
Laura Phillips, PsyD, stated, “Just exposure to words is the single most important thing that you can do to help build the language pathways in your child’s brain.” Exposure to new words and even physical contact with books can be cognitively beneficial.
Books expose children to words they don’t always hear every day, expanding their cognitive abilities.
Fancy Nancy’s use of imagination, fancy things, and large words can not only impact a child’s vocabulary but also deepen their understanding.
The World Of Fancy Nancy
After Jane O’Connor released the first Fancy Nancy book in the early 2000s, Nancy and her fabulous life spread into other avenues of entertainment.
- Fancy Nancy: Tea Party Time! (on Nintendo DS)
- Fancy Nancy apps, like Fancy Nancy Dress Up
- Nancy Clancy (the chapter book series)
- Fancy Nancy animated series on Disney Junior, and now, Disney+
- Fancy Nancy the Musical (2013) and Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas (2014)
- Over 80 lovely books revolving around Nancy and her fanciness
Nancy’s excitement over all things fancy struck a chord with its readers. Along with other avenues of entertainment, there’s Fancy Nancy merchandise, and fans are known to throw their own tea parties, just like Nancy.
While Fancy Nancy‘s show ended after three seasons, fans of the series can rewatch episodes on Disney+ and read her books.
Now that my daughter is getting older, I’m excited to see her reaction to even more books, soundtracks, games, and episodes as she progresses. More importantly, it will be amazing to hear all of the fancy words she continues to say as she reads Fancy Nancy.
