Review - Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe

Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe (Fancy Nancy)
by Jane O'Connor
illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Date: 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: hardcover
Source: library

Fancy Nancy is back in New York Times bestselling team Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser's picture book Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe, about the love little girls feel for their favorite dolls--and their favorite sisters!

Fancy Nancy's sister, JoJo, can really be a pest sometimes . . . like when she put Easter-egg dye in the kiddie pool and dunked Frenchy in it! But this time she's done something really bad, and Nancy is livid--that's fancy for tres angry and upset. JoJo drew a tattoo on Nancy's precious doll, Marabelle Lavinia Chandelier! Even worse, it's in permanent marker. That means it will never come out! When Mom suggests a fancy doll party to make Nancy feel better, Nancy is excited to accept. But what if the doll drama isn't over?

Fans of Fancy Nancy and fancy parties alike will delight in this story of how younger siblings can get on your nerves sometimes, but it always works out in the end. As always, the central theme of all the Fancy Nancy books shines through, showing how Nancy empowers girls with knowledge through her fascination with do-it-yourself fun!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is one of the cuter Fancy Nancy stories I've read. It all starts when Nancy's little sister, JoJo, draws a pirate tattoo on Marabelle Lavinia Chandelier's stomach... with indelible ink! Nancy is pretty upset with her sister. Her mom tries to convince her that it's not so bad because nobody can see the tattoo when the doll has her clothes on. But Nancy still knows it's there.

To make Nancy feel better, her mom takes her to a fancy tea party for little girls and their "History Dolls" (I get the feeling that they're like American Girl dolls, except these ones all seem to hail from the days of the French Revolution; maybe everyone has that particular doll because they like the fancy clothes). Nancy has a lovely time at the party, but when it's time to go home, she realizes that--oh, no!--Marabelle has accidentally been switched with another doll. How will she ever find Marabelle in a sea of identical dolls?

There's a lot to look at in the pictures here. JoJo's really been playing around with indelible markers, so the mustache she draws on her own face is present throughout the book. The ending where Nancy and JoJo make up is cute... but perhaps short-lived, based on the foreshadowing in the illustrations. The issue of pesky younger siblings is done in a really cute way (although Nancy probably doesn't think it's so cute).

This is up there with some of my favourite Fancy Nancy picture books. It's a fun story with a good message.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5