Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2006 PreS-K-Young Nancy, like her literary predecessors Eloise and Olivia, is a glamour queen dropped into a boring world-"Nobody in my family is fancy at all. They never even ask for sprinkles." She determines to rescue her relatives from their humdrum existence by giving them lessons and accessorizing their mundane wardrobes. A situation that is charming when observed by adults in real life doesn't translate into a successful picture book. Children pretending to be fabulous creatures is appealing when it is innocent and unforced. This book, despite Glasser's wonderfully energetic artwork, is ultimately a story told by adults for adults.-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2006 “Fancy” is young Nancy’s driving passion, from her patterned, feathered, and frilly room, to her colorful and beribboned clothing, to her polysyllabically inclined mode of expression; unfortunately, the rest of her family favors vanilla cones and earthtoned casualwear, forcing Nancy to repeatedly explain that “lace-trimmed socks do help me to play soccer better” and “sandwiches definitely taste better when you stick in frilly toothpicks.” Nancy’s indulgent parents and little sister allow Nancy to fancy them up to her tastes and then the family goes out strutting for dinner at a restaurant, where Nancy takes a messy and humiliating header that leaves her in need of sympathy, tenderness, and a very unfancy “I love you” to make her feel fancy again. The plot loses focus toward the end, but the concept is executed with flair and sympathetic understanding; Nancy’s unaffected joy in adornment is so whole-souled that her adoration of pretension manages to be unpretentious. With its abundance of line, Glasser’s art tends to feel overcrowded even in its simpler scenes, a characteristic that works to its favor in presenting Nancy’s milieu as the crammed-to-the-hilt, festooned-within-an-inch-of-its-life vision that will be a glamorous fantasy to many young viewers (while being a visual nightmare to many of their parents). The book’s pink and glittery cover will entice exactly the kids who will find a kindred spirit in Nancy. - Copyright 2006 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 01/01/2006 For Nancy, there's no such thing as too, too much; she loves her frilly bedroom, her lace-trimmed socks, and her pen with a plume. Nancy teaches her family how to be fancy, too. Then following Nancy's lead, the fancied-up family heads for a festive night out (at the local pizzeria). A messy food mishap puts a damper on Nancy's joy, but her supportive family and the I love you at bedtime smoothes everything out. O'Connor, the author of the Nina, Nina Ballerina stories, delivers a delightful story of dress-up and cozy family love, with a charming protagonist who enjoys, and enjoys sharing, glamour. Nancy's perky narrative, in short, simple sentences, incorporates some fancy vocabulary for kids to absorb (stupendous , posh ), along with a sense of the rewards of a family doing things together. The cheerfully colored art is aptly exuberant, a riotous blending of color and pattern and action. A book sure to appeal to girls' inner princesses--and inspire new ensembles and decor. - Copyright 2006 Booklist.