READ THIS: Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire! By Jane O'Connor Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

Whom You Know has recommended every Fancy Nancy book we have reviewed so far, and this is one more winner loaded with more fun vocabulary!  Illustrated by our Mover and Shaker, Robin Preiss Glasser:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/03/movers-and-shakers-robin-preiss-glasser.html
Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire exemplifies Fancy Nancy's innate enthusiasm for life and her own personal savoir faire, and it is a book to be enjoyed by all our Petite Peachy's!  On one hand, we can't wait for Fancy Nancy to grow up because we think she would love all of the grown-up things of Whom You Know, like our new fancy teapot by Xtrema; she has tea parties all the time.  On the other hand, we hope she never grows up because we don't want our fun with her to end.  Loved by the whole Petite Peachy Panel, here is what they had to say about the latest hit:


Fancy Nancy is a poet and she didn’t even know it. As a Fancy Nancy aficionado, I applaud the new title Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire. With amazing verse and witty words, Miss Fancy Nancy Clancy is a named poet. But when put to the test poetry does not come that easily, even for Fancy Nancy. But a little inspiration and some serious fancy outfits and ooh la la Fancy Nancy is back on track. I love that there is a anthology of poems from Fancy Nancy’s class. What a cute idea, and my daughter adored it. I hope teachers around the world read Fancy Nancy to get inspired and come up with similar great ideas. Such a natural and humorous way to introduce poetry to kids which can be a little daunting, even at the higher levels of education. Again, great subject matter, wonderful writing and incredible illustrations make another Fancy Nancy book at hit!


As a teacher, I love to bring Fancy Nancy into my classroom.  With Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire!, not only can I get poetry lessons in with my students, but I can also get some math skills in there as well.  In the beginning, Nancy talks about how her class is doing a survey of favorite poems.  We often do surveys in my class and then later graph them out to find the winner.  This would be an excellent book to introduce a poetry unit.  Nancy introduces various kinds of poetry and then explains what they are in a fun way.  I think that is very important because poetry is a unit I have found that many students have a hard time understanding.  I also like how Nancy talks about inspiration and writer's block.  So many of my students have a hard time coming up with idea's to write about, and Nancy has opened a door to explain different ways to get around that.  I love how at the end, there is a selection of Nancy's favorite poems.  This could open up idea's of having my student's start writer's notebooks.  The possibilities are endless with Fancy Nancy!


The New York Times Bestselling Author and Illustrator duo, Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, come together once again to present Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire! And extraordinaire it is. Telling the story of Nancy as she learns about poetry in school and then struggles to write her own poem for the poet-tree, Jane teaches her young readers how to become poets. She integrates terminology and provides examples in a simple and attractive way that captivates children's attention and fosters their comprehension. Children can easily relate to Fancy Nancy as she is faced with writer's block, seeks out help from her teacher and mom and finally finds her source of inspiration while on an outing with her dad. This outstanding story is complimented by Robin's colorful and elaborate drawings. When reading this book with my family, we spend several minutes studying each page and admiring the pictures. One of our favorites is the page showing the Poet-Tree; a brilliant and beautifully presented idea! We love how the examples of poems are presented throughout the book with a compilation of Nancy's favorite poems at the end of the book. I plan on purchasing several copies of this book for gifts and donating a few copies to my children's school. Poet Extraordinaire is the perfect book for teachers to use when introducing poetry in their classrooms and a lovely book to read with your child or grandchild. This is a book to be shared and appreciated by all generations!

The writer-illustrator teaming of Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser have created another winner in Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire! If we’ve learned anything about Nancy in her previous adventures, we know she’s creative, so it’s no surprise to find that she’s so into poetry. What I love once again about this book is that it is so full of opportunities to learn and explore new words and activities with my daughter.  Every page is an opportunity for conversation, whether it’s about the illustrations or the words on the page.  And after reading a few books with appearances by teacher Ms. Glass, I’m left wishing that my own daughter will have her elementary years shaped by teachers as caring, encouraging and creative as she.  It’s just so refreshing to see a teacher painted in such a flattering light and to see the impact she has on Nancy. There are just too many books and movies out there that would give any young student the impression that all teachers are moody and mean, even clueless and ignorant.  Fancy Nancy books in general paint people in a positive light and this one is no exception.  I feel good sharing these stories with my daughter and I’m only a little embarrassed to admit that I’ve learned a few things myself along the way.  Add Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire! to your collection.  It’s one of my favorites!


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