By Jane O'Connor Fancy Nancy And The Delectable Cupcakes (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Fancy Nancy: (Reprint) [Library Binding]

Fancy Nancy

by Jane O'Connor

Nancy is thrilled to be making cupcakes for the bake sale! But will she remember to follow all of Mom's directions?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, School, 1st Grade, Food, 2nd Grade

Unknown Binding

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

Since the publication of Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor's closet now boasts so many boas, tiaras, and sparkly ensembles that sometimes friends do not recognize her on the street. She still resides (that's a fancy word for lives) in New York City with her family and their canine companion, Arrow. --from the publisher's website

Reviews

[Jenn Custer]

Don't judge read it to little girl

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Fancy Nancy book has listening as a theme. It starts at school when Nancy is too busy daydreaming about cupcakes to listen to her teacher. (To her credit, she apologizes after class.) At home, Nancy and her mom bake cupcakes for the school bake sale. When they're done, she takes some over to her neighbour. Her mom tells her to make sure not to put the cupcakes where Frenchy (the dog) can reach them. But Nancy's listening skills are a bit lacking, and you can guess what happens next. (The family ends up having to bake another batch, which is probably for the best. The first batch had JoJo sticking her fingers in the batter, and Frenchy sniffing at the preparations with her paws on the counter. I don't know how bake sales are even legal! Where's the health department when you need them?)

This book has some fun fancy words, like "delectable", "exhausted", and "velvet"... all of which are potentially important for fancy little kids. I liked the emphasis on being a good listener in this one, and the pictures are cute, as always.

Quotable moment:

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Fancy Nancy fun. This time, she is baking some FANCY cupcakes for a school library fundraiser (worthy cause, yay!) But, when things go amiss, how will they get the cupcakes ready in time? This was going to be only three stars for me as it's not Glasser's own illustrations and also I do at times get a little annoyed at the (sometimes awkward) insertion of Nancy's "fancy" words and their definitions--a bit of a stumble in the flow of the text, IMO; but I loved the message about the importance of listening and of making the best of things and it was just so warm and humorous, I cant't help myself: four stars! ;-) Oh, and I want a cupcake!!!

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun Nancy story, this one encouraging being a good listener, while reminding us that everyone occasionally fails too. At this point, I think Tot and I are pretty dedicated to reading all these books.

[Crystal Marcos · Rating 4 out of 5]

We adored this book! Adore-to really, really like something.=) I think that my 2 year old daughter and I like this book more than maybe we would have if we were not cupcake fans. We just made a cake together for her birthday so she recognized some of the steps in baking. I think this would be a fun book to read and to make cupcakes in the same day. Even better a great book for your child's first bake sale. The message here is a good one, teaching about being a good listener.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is quite misleading to have this book, with words like "exhausted" and "delectable", labeled as a level 1 beginning reader.

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok. Also, I thought the mom was a brunette. =/

[Mya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story made me laugh and reminded me of how good it is to be young and fancy.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

May it's because we are planning for birthdays and have cupcakes on the brain. I'm sure it doesn't help that a brand new cupcakery just opened up in town... No matter what this was a great read for us. Nancy is participating with her class in a bake sale and learning the importance of good listening skills. While I'm more of the mind that French, the poodle, was the one with dismal behavior (dismal is a fancy word for extremely bad :) ) it is true that Nancy was not listening, but I bet she will next time!

Thanks to HC.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes: I Can Read Level 1
Author: Jane O’Connor
Illustrator: Based on the art of Robin Preiss Glasser
Genre: Early Reader, I Can Read!, Beginner Reader
Theme(s): Listening Fiction, Vocabulary Fiction, Baking Fiction

Opening line/sentence: “ I adore school.”

Brief Book Summary:
Nancy is a whimsical and fun young girl who loves anything fancy, glittery, and bursting with color, but Nancy is also not a great listener. She decides to bake cupcakes for her school’s bake sale but when she doesn’t listen, disaster strikes. Luckily her dad doesn’t listen either and saves the day, bringing home more ingredients. The bake sale was a success and Nancy’s cupcakes were a hit!

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Nancy Baumann (Children's Literature )
Excited to raise money for the school library, Nancy decides to bake scrumptious cupcakes to sell at the bake sale. (Scrumptious means very delicious.) Shopping for baking supplies, Nancy reminds Mom not to forget the sprinkles and candy toppings. No plain cupcakes for this girl! The homey scene of a family baking together is charming. Little sister is sampling the batter, mom looks frazzled, and Nancy is in decorating heaven. Disaster strikes as Frenchy, the dog, demolishes the cupcakes since Nancy didn t listen to Mom about putting the cupcakes in a safe place. Then Dad comes home carrying a bag of baking supplies for guess what? Cupcakes! Apparently nobody listens in this family since Mom and Dad both thought the other was to purchase cupcake ingredients. A new batch of cupcakes is baked and is a big seller at the bake sale. Readers will want a sweet treat by the time they finish reading. Gaudy illustrations will appeal to beginning readers who will delight in this latest installment of the Fancy Nancy. Series. A glossary of fancy words is provided for readers for vocabulary enrichment. 2010, Harper/HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99. Ages 4 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Harper (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2010.)

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Leta Tillman (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 23, No. 2) )
Fancy Nancy is having another adventure and we get to be a part of it. It seems that Nancy is having trouble paying attention in class. But she does hear the teacher tell about the big bake sale that the school is having the next day. Nancy has big plans to make a batch of delectable cupcakes as soon as she gets home from school. On their way home, Nancy and her mom go by the market and buy all that they need including lots of sprinkles and candy to decorate the cupcakes. Nancy is very careful to listen as her mom helps her to make the batter and get it ready to put in the oven. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled the fun begins. The frosting and sprinkles and candy go on top of the cupcakes to make them absolutely amazing! When she leaves the plate of cupcakes on the table to go to the phone to call her friend, the family dog checks out the platter of cupcakes and a big mess awaits her return. Nancy had failed to hear her mother remind her to put the plate somewhere safe from the dog. Her father comes to her rescue when he brings in a big sack of new supplies to make more cupcakes. It seems that her father has trouble listening too because her mother told him that she would get the supplies. After dinner everyone helps to make another batch of cupcakes and they are just as good as the first. The bake sale is a big success and all of the cupcakes are sold except for one that Nancy s mother saved for Nancy. O Connor s and Glasser s jovial depictions of the favorite little Nancy are a sure winner for the young readers who have become fans. They are bright and happy drawings of a very energetic little girl. Everything is full of curls, ruffles, and bright clothing. Nancy s outfits are just as fancy as her words. The list of Fancy Nancy s Fancy Words at the end of the story will help the readers to reinforce their new words learned through the story. This is a great book for girls and boys alike to enjoy and learn the importance of listening and some new words as well. Add this book to your already-owned books about Fancy Nancy and it will join the ranks of well-used books. (I Can Read!). Fiction. Grades K-3. 2010, Harper, Unpaged., $16.99. Ages 5 to 9.
(PUBLISHER: Harper (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2010.)

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
As mentioned in both reviews, Nancy and her adventures are depicted with whimsical, colorful illustrations that will no doubt engage young readers. A great feature, the book uses parentheses and a glossary to help young readers learn new and “fancy” words. The theme of listening is discussed in a cute and enjoyable way, that will delight early readers and parents alike.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This is an outstanding representation of an early reader. The words and sentences are not dull or painfully simple, yet are challenging and exciting. Nancy loves to use fancy words, and readers will love learning to use them too. Parentheses providing definitions, as well as the a glossary in the back of the book, are helpful tools to aid in comprehension of the fancy words. The illustrations are whimsical, engaging, and representational of the words on the page. They will also aid in comprehension as young children learn to read. Not your traditional early reader, Fancy Nancy has easily readable fonts, few sentences per page that never roll over to the next, and has a plot that is appealing to young boys and girls.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
Doesn’t making a fancy cupcake sound like fun? A potential instructional application for this whimsical early reader is to have students create their own fancy cupcakes. Students can use multiple mediums, like playdough, stickers, crayons, paper, etc., to create their own playful cupcakes. Students will also practice using their listening skills, just like Nancy does, while the teacher gives directions for the activity.

[Holly Letson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd totally be like Nancy, and forget to taste the cupcakes I made, because I was so exhausted after making them.

[livii · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like a good batch of cupcakes then this is the book you'll want.

[Cindy aka "The Book Fairy" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous child's series!!

[Melissa Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes

Author: Jane O’Connor

Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser

Genre: Early Reader

Theme(s): Optimism, The Importance of Listening

Opening line/sentence:
I adore school.

Brief Book Summary:
Fancy Nancy’s class is having a bake sale and she is eager to make cupcakes for it. Fancy Nancy struggles to be a good listener, however, and her dog, Frenchy gobbles up all of the lovely cupcakes when Fancy Nancy leaves them in her reach. Fancy Nancy’s dad comes to the rescue with new ingredients, however, and they make new cupcakes as a family that evening. By the conclusion of the short story, Fancy Nancy’s cupcakes have been a stellar hit at the bake sale and the reader has learned a handful of new, fancy vocabulary.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Leta Tillman (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 23, No. 2))
Fancy Nancy is having another adventure and we get to be a part of it. It seems that Nancy is having trouble paying attention in class. But she does hear the teacher tell about the big bake sale that the school is having the next day. Nancy has big plans to make a batch of delectable cupcakes as soon as she gets home from school. On their way home, Nancy and her mom go by the market and buy all that they need including lots of sprinkles and candy to decorate the cupcakes. Nancy is very careful to listen as her mom helps her to make the batter and get it ready to put in the oven. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled the fun begins. The frosting and sprinkles and candy go on top of the cupcakes to make them absolutely amazing! When she leaves the plate of cupcakes on the table to go to the phone to call her friend, the family dog checks out the platter of cupcakes and a big mess awaits her return. Nancy had failed to hear her mother remind her to put the plate somewhere safe from the dog. Her father comes to her rescue when he brings in a big sack of new supplies to make more cupcakes. It seems that her father has trouble listening too because her mother told him that she would get the supplies. After dinner everyone helps to make another batch of cupcakes and they are just as good as the first. The bake sale is a big success and all of the cupcakes are sold except for one that Nancy’s mother saved for Nancy. O Connor s and Glasser’s jovial depictions of the favorite little Nancy are a sure winner for the young readers who have become fans. They are bright and happy drawings of a very energetic little girl. Everything is full of curls, ruffles, and bright clothing. Nancy’s outfits are just as fancy as her words. The list of Fancy Nancy’s Fancy Words at the end of the story will help the readers to reinforce their new words learned through the story. This is a great book for girls and boys alike to enjoy and learn the importance of listening and some new words as well. Add this book to your already-owned books about Fancy Nancy and it will join the ranks of well-used books.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Nancy Baumann (Children's Literature)
Excited to raise money for the school library, Nancy decides to bake scrumptious cupcakes to sell at the bake sale. (Scrumptious means very delicious.) Shopping for baking supplies, Nancy reminds Mom not to forget the sprinkles and candy toppings. No plain cupcakes for this girl! The homey scene of a family baking together is charming. Little sister is sampling the batter, mom looks frazzled, and Nancy is in decorating heaven. Disaster strikes as Frenchy, the dog, demolishes the cupcakes since Nancy didn t listen to Mom about putting the cupcakes in a safe place. Then Dad comes home carrying a bag of baking supplies for guess what? Cupcakes! Apparently nobody listens in this family since Mom and Dad both thought the other was to purchase cupcake ingredients. A new batch of cupcakes is baked and is a big seller at the bake sale. Readers will want a sweet treat by the time they finish reading. Gaudy illustrations will appeal to beginning readers who will delight in this latest installment of the Fancy Nancy. Series. A glossary of fancy words is provided for readers for vocabulary enrichment.

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
I agree entirely with the content of both reviews—Fancy Nancy is a jovial delight! Not only does the author succeed in exemplifying why it is important to be a good listener, but introduces new and more difficult vocabulary to young readers in a manageable way. The illustrations could not be any more lighthearted and sweet, making this a literary experience all readers are bound to enjoy.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The notably larger text is purposefully designed for early readers and is accompanied by heartwarming watercolor illustrations that will appeal to the intended audience. The introduction of each new word is followed by a simple definition provided in parentheses, providing clarification for readers, most of which will need it. The last page of the book reviews the vocabulary words introduced throughout the course of the story and again provides respective definitions so that readers can revisit what they learned while reading.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
This text is ideal for all early readers, therefore this book can be found in a range of grade levels. First and foremost, I would make this title accessible to students by placing it in my classroom library so that they can try reading it independently during free periods or literacy blocks. Additionally, I would love to use the Fancy Nancy series to observe character development and problem/solution with my students over the course of several classes/weeks as Mrs. McCracken and Ms. Ramey did with Charlie and Lola at Easterly Parkway.

[Olivia barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes is level 1 young readers picture book. This is intended for readers ages 6-8.

This story is simple cute story about Nancy preparing to make cupcakes, she buys all the ingredients and makes the cupcakes and is so excited ... and then her dog eats them! Oh no what will she do?? This story is cute and illustrated very well, Nancy the character is a cute relatable corky little girl , who often tries very hard at things until they go wrong and then she problem solves to fix them. This book uses very easy to understand words beginner readers. The subject matter is fun and relatable to children learning to read. I gave this book 4 stars because I like it very much, although it is not one of my favorites. It is however a very good beginner level book.

[Emma Zvonar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy books are great for introducing "fancy" vocabulary because the book used big words but Nancy explains to the reader what each word means. In this book Nancy has to make cupcakes for a bake sale. She has trouble listening in class and almost misses the fact that there will be a bake sale. The teacher reminds her to work on her listening. At home, her mom tells Nancy to move her cupcakes that she worked hard on to a spot the dog couldn't get them. Again, Nancy doesn't listen so the dog eats all the cupcakes. In the end Dad ends up brining the ingredients home, even though mom already got them (Dad has a hard time listening too!)

[Rachel Roque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I have always been a fan of fancy nancy. I really enjoy all of the colors and all of the chaos that happens in all of the books. This books shows kids that it is okay to make mistakes sometimes. I like to hear fancy Nancy apologize to the teacher for not being a good listener. In school this happens many many times due to being distracted with your friends or pretty much anything else. I definitely recommend you to read this to your class. It’s a good book with a lot of messages inside of it.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

EASY READER - Renton Library

If you like Fancy Nancy, then this installment will work for you. I find her a bit annoying, and in the smaller size book her many gee-gaws just look busy on the page. As a parent I was appalled at the time line for bringing the snacks for the bake sale, but that's not a kid concern. As a early reader it's got good pictures and a fair amount of text per page, so high reward and probable success. Adults who don't mind Fancy Nancy will be OK share reading this.

[Shaalini · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes. It's about a girl named Nancy who is thrilled in making delightful cupcakes to sell for people to eat. So could she able to listen to her mom's direction?.I enjoyed these type of books because it's interesting to read with friends and family. Although I recommend the book to an a eight year old children those who also like to read interesting books.
By:Shaalini
Gogineni

[Elizabeth K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will I review every Fancy Nancy story we read? Aren't they all essentially the same? Why does my daughter love Fancy Nancy so much? Is it weird that she can "read" a Fancy Nancy book because she can apparently memorize every word after one listen, but claims she can't read sight word flashcards because they are "too hard"?

I will add here that one thing I really appreciate about the endless adventures of Fancy Nancy is that she's a nice kid. The humor is never about being bratty or snarky.

[Megan Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an I Can Read about Fancy Nancy’s bake sale and cupcakes. My favorite part was when Frenchy ate Fancy Nancy’s cupcakes because it was funny! The pictures really help to tell the story. I like this book very because it was funny and it made me hungry! Girls who are between 5-12 would like it.

~Skye, age 7

[Amber Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun way to get beginning readers engaged and excited about reading. This book was fun, had a good story and was a great way to incorporate a well-known character like Fancy Nancy into an early reader book! I also loved the illustrations and thought that they were a great help contextually for children who are beginning to read.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My four-year-old gave this one five stars! She liked that the family all worked together to bake the cupcakes, once Frenchy had eaten them all. We learned that being a good listener isn’t just hard for children but can be tough for grown-ups too. As always, Fancy Nancy does a great job of teaching some new vocabulary.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy and her mother bake cupcakes for the school bake sale. As happens occasionally with Nancy, disaster ensues, and the cupcakes are ruined. Nancy must save her bake sale reputation!

No, really this was cute, and for an easy reader, was surprisingly plot-driven and also used some challenging words for a Level 1 (because she is Fancy Nancy with the fancy words).

[Random Scholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, fancy Nancy is at it again trying to be the fanciest girl in town. Here she is participating in a school bake sale to raise money for library books. Things just take a not so fancy turn when she puts her freshly baked cupcakes in a not so safe place from the family dog...

[Debs DiGiorgio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy admits to her mother that she didn't listen, and she accepts responsibility for her action. Enough said!! We need more books where the protagonist exemplifies upright behavior. I love Fancy Nancy!!

[Megan Billick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for kids who are just learning to read with it's easy words and shorter sentences. I thought it was a cute book and very entertaining for young kids.

[Superreader200 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little girl book which has "fancy" words! Fun and Easy to read! Keeps a young girl looking at all the fancy pictures!

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the fancy words.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The school bake sale is coming up, and Fancy Nancy is planning to bake cupcakes to sell. The only thing is, she forgets to follow one of the steps.