Mum's the Word! Fancy Nancy: The Worst Secret Keeper Ever by Jane O'Connor

I AM ENRAGED! (THAT'S FANCY FOR REALLY, REALLY MAD!)

JOJO KEEPS TELLING ALL MY SECRETS!

Clearly, Nancy's got a problem with her little sister's big mouth! The sign on Nancy's door says

SECRET SPOILERS, STAY OUT!

Last week, before Nancy could pull out her spelling test to show Mom and Dad her perfect score, JoJo beats her to the punch line:

"NANCY GOT ALL HER WORDS RIGHT!"

That wasn't so bad, but when Nancy confided to her sister that she was anxious about dancing the swan role in her recital, JoJo reveals Nancy's fears to the whole ballet class. Nancy is embarrassed.

"I KEEP TELLING HER, IF YOU KEEP BLABBING, NO ONE WILL WANT TO TELL YOU ANYTHING!"

Nancy decides to write her sister off her confidant list forever!

But then, when her best friend is there for a sleepover, Nancy discovers that Bree has never seen her favorite movie. JoJo joins them, and Bree is really into the movie a lot, but just as the film gets to the most exciting part, Nancy can't help blurting out what happens next:

"THIS IS WHERE SHE FINDS THE MAGIC UNICORN AND SAVES... !"

Oooops!

The movie's ending is ruined, and one look at Bree's face makes Nancy realizes that she can be guilty of secret spoiling, too, in Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy: The Worst Secret Keeper Ever (Harper Festival, 2016). It's a mea culpa moment for Nancy Clancy and in her usual way, she owns up to it.

For young readers O'Connor's stories have the grace of insight into other people and self-insight on the part of their winsome main character, even when it is not as clearly stated as it is here. Artist Maggi List does a workmanly job of portraying this flamboyant heroine in all her pastel fanciness in the familiar style of Robin Preiss Glasser, and this inexpensive little paperback is a great choice for the Fancy Nancy Fan Club.

Art for Art's Sake: Louise Loves Art! by Kelly Light

SO LITTLE TIME, SO MUCH TO DRAW!

Louise loves her art. Spreadeagled on the floor, she dashes off sketch after sketch, as her little brother Arthur watches enviously. Louise can't help holding forth on her passion as she works.

TO BE A GREAT ARTIST, YOU HAVE TO NOTICE EVERYTHING!

EVERY LINE..., EVERY CURVE...

The cat wanders in and suddenly Louise has a new model.

WAIT! HOLD THAT POSE!

As Louise throws all her energy into capturing her model's essential cathood, little Arthur gets his red crayon and draws a pair of red glasses just like the one's his big sister wears. With his little paper scissors he cuts out the glasses and puts them on to look just like Louise.

But Louise is oblivious of her little imitator and declares her cat drawing her piece de resistance! She admires it as she declares it worthy of... The Gallery du Fridge! But first... she letters five signs to tape to the walls to lead the public to to her one-woman show.

THIS
WAY
TO
THE
ART!

But while she's busy, little Art picks up her cat drawing and uses it to cut out a string of paper dolls, giving each figure red glasses just like Louise's. He holds them up proudly for her to see.

"ART!! HOW COULD YOU!!"

But like the artist she is, Louise looks again and really sees Art's artwork.

"OH, ART! I LOVE IT!"

Louise gets it that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery in Kelly Light's sweet sibling story, Louise Loves Art (Balzer and Bray, 2014). The author-illustrator's own artwork is breezily retro, with the look of a 'sixties' cartoon that almost seems to move across the page. Light artfully skirts sentimentality in this tale of a sister and brother who come together in a moment of mutual admiration for art and for each other.

Not mushy-gushy Valentine fare, but a story that celebrates love between brother and sister!

Boo-tique: The Monstore by Tara Lazar

AT THE BACK OF FRANKENSWEET'S CANDY SHOPPE, UNDER THE LAST BOX OF SOUR GUMBALLS, THERE'S A TRAPDOOR.

KNOCK FIVE TIMES, HAND OVER A BAG OF SQUIRMY WORMS, AND YOU CAN CRAWL INSIDE... THE MONSTORE.

Who could resist that invitation?

And Zack has a compelling reason to patronize the subterranean Monstore--his much-dreaded little sister, Gracie, The Room Invader. Since KEEP OUT signs have no effect on Gracie, who rambles and rummages through his bedroom daily, Zack figures a monstrous scary critter might do the trick, especially when he reads the ad which points out that their monsters can be useful in lying in wait under the kitchen table to make whatever horrible crab-leg casserole Mom delivers disappear!

Enter Manfred the Monster. He  looks scary and his casserole-scarfing skills are impeccable.

But Manfred is easily manipulated by the nefarious Gracie, even showing her Zack's favorite hiding places, from which the two of them soon conspire to scare Zack instead.

Since the Monstore has a NO RETURN NO EXCHANGE policy, the only thing the proprietors can offer is to sell Zack yet another monster, Mookie, who might intimidate the gutsy Gracie. Reluctantly, Zack forks over more money in hopes that this extra monster will make Gracie run screaming from his room. No luck.

Zack soon finds himself with a menagerie of monsters, all of them partying down with Gracie at the surprise birthday bash they cater for her. Is there nothing that this pesty little sister fears?

Well, there is one thing that strikes terror in Gracie's monster-proof heart, in Tara Lazar's look at siblingitis,  The Monstore (Aladdin, 2013), illustrated in jaunty cartoon style by James Burks. Older brothers and reputedly bothersome little sisters will both get their revenge in this silly monster tale for the scary season. Publishers Weekly says, " Zack gets a chance to prove himself as a capable older brother, but this story really belongs to Gracie."

Siblingitis! Fancy Nancy: The Fanciest Doll in the Universe by Jane O'Connor

DO YOU HAVE SIBLINGS? (THAT'S FANCY FOR SISTERS OR BROTHERS.)

I DO. JOJO IS MY LITTLE SISTER. MY PARENTS SAY SHE'S A HANDFUL,

WHICH IS POLITE FOR REALLY NAUGHTY.

JoJo has pulled some stunts in her time, like putting Easter egg dye in her wading pool and dyeing Nancy's pooch Frenchy green.

But the egg dye washed right off Frenchy's fur and JoJo's legs.

This time JoJo has hit a new low.  Playing pirate, she has appropriated Nancy's special doll, Mirabelle Lavinia Chandelier, as her privateer pal, and after Jo has drawn herself a swashbuckling mustache (with permanent marker), she adds a large skull-and-crossbones tattoo to Mirabelle's tummy.

Nancy pronounces the deed DESPICABLE.  She is disconsolate.

After JoJo (mustache and all)  is dispatched to do a well-deserved timeout, Mom tries to console Nancy with a promise to take her downtown to the History Doll Gala at the Ardsley Park Hotel.   Nancy dries her eyes,  dresses Mirabelle in her finest outfit which provides ample cover for the Jolly Roger icon on her tummy, and Mom and Nancy dress up to make the scene with a red-carpet arrival.

OOH-LA-LA! The Gala is everything Nancy had hoped for.  She joins lots of  girls with their best dolls dressed in their fanciest historic outfits in the Grand Ballroom, where there are linen-covered tables with flowers and  delicious French pastries and tea for refreshments. Some of the dolls are even wearing outfits just like Mirabelle's! Nancy joins some girls and they introduce their dolls. "Enchante', ma cherie!" The dolls are seated together and the girls enjoy tres charmante tea party talk.

Then Nancy looks around for Mirabelle:

MIRABELLE IS NOT LOOKING AT ME.  WELL, ONE EYE IS, BUT THE OTHER EYE ISN'T. ... .

Nancy rushes over and picks up her doll. Alors, her wig falls off...

... AND LOTS OF HER HAIR IS MISSING IN THE BACK!

I DUCK DOWN AND TAKE OFF MIRABELLE'S DRESS. THERE'S NO TATTOO! I COME TO A SHOCKING CONCLUSION! (THAT MEAN'S SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAS HAPPENED!)

The unthinkable has transpired.  Someone has mistakenly taken Mirabelle away with her! Horreurs!

It's bonne chance that Mirabelle Lavinia Chandelier has one distinguishing mark that no other doll in the Grand Ballroom has, in Jane O'Connor's latest full-dress picture book, Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe (Harper, 2013). Robin Preiss Glaaser's rococo illustrations are as apt as always, and O'Connor's storyline is a familiar one in every household with more than one child. It's a rare younger sibling who hasn't broken, cut up, lost, or otherwise defaced something that the older child holds dear, and the miscreant JoJo catches a break when her buccaneer-style body art turns out to be the saving grace in this brand-new Fancy Nancy story. Nancy is compelled to accept little JoJo's teary apology as she concludes that it all turned out as well as could be expected.

AFTER ALL, IT COULD BE WORSE. MIRABELLE ISN'T BALD."

Limelight for Two: Tallulah's Solo by Marilyn Singer

Tallulah knew she was an excellent ballet dancer. So she was certain that this year she would be doing a solo in the winter recital.

Tallulah has earned her tutu: her plie' is perfect, and her releve' is right on. She is attentive at class and she practices every day. And she is delighted when her little brother Beckett, who enviously watches her perfecting her moves before her mirror, decides that he would like to dance as well.

But Beckett is a little boy. He'd rather slide across the polished floor than practice en pointe. He finds the barre just the right height for hanging by his knees, and he uses the mirrors on the wall to make faces, not perfect his posture. He even wanders away to play with his toy trucks in the middle of class.

Tallulah persists in polishing her skills, however, and at the audition for parts, she's sure she's caught the attention of the Mr. Fontaine, the guest choreographer for the winter production of The Frog Prince. At last the long-awaited casting is posted:

The list was already on the bulletin board. Tallulah ran over to find her name next to "Princess."

But it wasn't there.

"Look, Tallulah" said her mother. "You're one of the princess's ladies in waiting! And Beckett, you're the frog before he turns into the prince!"

Tallulah totally loses her professional poise at the unfairness of it all. Beckett acts silly in class and gets a big role. She works hard, and what does she get? She gets to play second banana to someone else's prima princess performance. Tallulah sulks quietly at home and ignores Beckett's struggles to learn his duet with the princess.

At first Beckett is delighted, hopping hugely about and rehearsing his "Ribbits!" for all to hear. But as rehearsals drag on and the big day draws nearer, he begins to get scared. "I'll never do this right," he moans, as he falls out of his deep froggy plie' every time. Tallulah begins to re-think her petulant position. After all, Beckett decided to take ballet because he admired her. And Tallulah, as a member of the ompany, realizes that the show must go on and that she can help make their performance a good one with a careful extra coaching for her little brother.

By the recital, Tallulah was the most graceful of the ladies-in-waiting, and Beckett had become a pretty good frog.

Mr. Fontaine told him what an excellent job he'd done. "It's because Tallulah helped me," Beckett explained.

"I see," said the choreographer. "I'll remember that."

Hard work and esprit de corps are sure to pay off for our Tallulah in Marilyn Singer's sequel to her popular Tallulah's Tutu (see my review here), her latest, Tallulah's Solo (Clarion, 2012). Again illustrated by Alexandra Boiger's delightful pastel paintings, this latest story takes our Tallulah forth into her ballet career and by the time she earns the lead role she has learned there is more to stardom than a tutu and a perfect tour jete'.

For little balletomanes, pair this one with the similarly themed Miss Lina's Ballerinas and the Prince by Grace Maccarone, reviewed here, for a danse duet.