Review - Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day

Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day (Fancy Nancy)
by Jane O'Connor
illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Date: 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: hardcover
Source: library

From the dazzling bestselling duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, a picture book with a do-it-yourself twist for the fancy girl who wants to pamper mom on her special day!

What better way to fancy Mom up for her birthday than to treat her to a super-deluxe beauty day created by Fancy Nancy herself? It's a pampering paradise, and right in the backyard.

With relaxing music, fragrant lotions, colorful nail polish, and foamy mousse, Nancy gives her mom a total makeover. She even treats her to sumptuous refreshments and special entertainment. But when the pampering suddenly goes too far, has Nancy ruined her mom's big day?

Complete with tips and recipes for creating a super-deluxe beauty day of your own, Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day will inspire budding beauty experts to open up shop and join in the deluxe fanciness!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a fun Fancy Nancy title for kids who enjoy playing beautician. Nancy decides to give her mom a spa day. Mom's a really good sport, given that the "spa" is located in Nancy's backyard tent and the assistants are a toddler and a dog. She even puts up with the "relaxing" music from Nancy's recorder!

There are plenty of little things here for kids to try. There's a recipe for a face mask (which could be eaten, if you got really hungry), a recipe for yogurt parfait (in case you're really, really hungry), and instructions on how to make a relaxing foot soak. Nancy even tells readers, step by step, how to apply nail polish.

The story in this one is pretty cute. Nancy's mom needs to get dolled up for her birthday, so Nancy--in addition to giving her the full spa treatment--does her hair. She uses a ton of mousse and tiny braids to add volume... with somewhat predictable results. In tears, Nancy enlists the help of Mrs. DeVine, who manages to salvage Mom's hair for her big night out.

The pictures in this one are pretty funny. We see Mom humouring her kids, even when they make a mess of things. JoJo is all dressed up as Nancy's assistant, complete with oversized gloves, a lobster bib, and a clear shower cap. Even the dog is fancy! (But, then, isn't she always?)

This seems like a bit more of a superficial title, and while it is in some ways, it still has the same themes of love and family that many of the better Fancy Nancy books do. So I would recommend it, especially to kids who enjoy pampering their friends and family.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5