Review - Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly

Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly (Fancy Nancy)
by Jane O'Connor
illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Date: 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: hardcover
Source: library

Fancy Nancy thinks butterflies are simply exquisite. And that is why she can't wait for her friend Bree's Butterfly Birthday. It's going to be the fanciest birthday party ever!

But when Nancy finds out she can't go because her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary party is the same day, she is furious. (Mad is way too plain for how she feels.) How Nancy overcomes her disappointment and reconnects with her family is a fun and meaningful story for young readers.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't think this is one of my favourites. The story just seems a little weak compared to some of the others.

Nancy is all excited to go to her friend's birthday party. But it happens to be on the same day as her grandparents' anniversary party, which is out of town. So Nancy basically gets mad and sulks in the lead-up to the party. (The illustrations are actually pretty amusing here. The pictures of her being devastated, disappointed, and dramatic are funny.) Eventually, she has fun celebrating the special day with her family and she apologizes for being angry earlier. After that, as a bit of a consolation prize, her mom takes her to the butterfly garden at the local zoo and Nancy sees a pretty blue butterfly just like the one she was going to dress up as for Bree's Butterfly Birthday party.

I did like the fact that Nancy apologized for her behaviour, but I felt sympathy for her, too. What kid wants to go to a party for a couple of old folks when there's a butterfly-themed kids' party being dangled in front of their nose?

So... this one was just okay for me. It's not a bad book, but it doesn't quite live up to some of the others that I've previously read.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5