A collection of six Fancy Nancy books are gathered in this picture book, a treasure trove for Nancy fans. Fancy Nancy is the epitome of a girly girl, with her curls and ribbons and love of all things fancy. She has a sweet heart and an active intelligence, because fancy girls are more than just the pretty exterior. In these stories, Nancy makes delectable cupcakes, participates in a talent show, and wants to attend a special star event with her class, among other light-hearted adventures. The stories have many factors in common, aside from the characters. Nancy faces disappointments that are frequently involved in relationship issues. Although she is sometimes sad, with her family's help she works through her emotions, and finds a way to resolve the problem, even if it doesn't work out the way she originally anticipated.

Children's literature has so many amazing characters that move beyond their stories to become symbols of imagination and childish exuberance. Fancy Nancy is not quite to that point, but she is becoming a well-known face in the world of children's books. Her stories are cute and have good morals. Also, the series has a clever gimmick for teaching vocabulary to young readers: Nancy likes fancy words, so she uses a lot of advanced vocabulary, always making sure to say that it is a fancy word for something else. It's a cute way to teach more difficult language. Fans of Fancy Nancy should note that the books collected here are mostly from the beginning reader series, and not the original picture books. I think the quality of the picture books is higher, both in story and illustration, so while this is a bargain, you have to look elsewhere to find the best books featuring this irrepressible heroine. I enjoy reading the stories to my daughters but they are not my favorite, and I believe they feel the same way. ( )