Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown Ups [Hardcover]

Kay Thompson (Author), Hilary Knight (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 30, 1969 | Age Range: 6 and up

Eloise is a little girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel in New York. She is not yet pretty but she is already a Person.

Henry James would want to study her.

Queen Victoria would recognize her as an Equal.

The New York Jets would want to have her on their side.

Lewis Carroll would love her (once he got over the initial shock).

She knows everything about The Plaza. She is interested in people when they are not boring.

She has Inner Resources.

If you take her home with you, you will always be glad you did.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I am Eloise/I am six." So begins the well-loved story of Eloise, the garrulous little girl who lives at New York's Plaza Hotel. Eyebrow raised defiantly, arm propped on one jutting hip, Eloise is a study in self-confidence. Eloise's personal mandate is "Getting bored is not allowed," so she fills her days to the brim with wild adventures and self-imposed responsibilities. An average Eloise afternoon includes braiding her pet turtle's ears, ordering "one roast-beef bone, one raisin and seven spoons" from room service, and devising innovative methods of torture for her guardians.

Eloise's exploits are non-stop, and--accordingly--the text uses nary a period. Kay Thompson perfectly captures the way children speak: in endless sentences elongated with "and then ... and then ... and then... " Hilary Knight's drawings illustrate Eloise's braggadocio and amusement as well as the bewilderment of harassed hotel guests. Eloise's taunts are terrible, her imagination inimitable, her pace positively perilous. Her impertinence will delight readers of all ages. (Ages 5 and older)

Review

"Eloise is one of the more delightfully fiendish literary heroines of our time."

-- Edward I. Koch (former NYC mayor!!!)

"Eloise is a model for uppity women."

-- Nina Totenberg (rawther important radio lady)

"Thanks to Eloise, my daughter sought independence and mastery over her life. We loved reading this book, and we've never given it away."

-- Susan Sarandon (rawther grande actress)

"Ooooooo....I just love Eloise! Thank you, Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight. You're the bestest!"

-- Judy Blume (lovely author)

"My first happy response to Eloise was entirely due to the brilliant, iconic images. That brazen, loose-limbed, deliciosly little girl monster is Hilary Knight at his best."

-- Maurice Sendak (enormously famous artist)

"Eloise, Kay, and Hilary have been in my life always. And her pug puppy is in my heart. What memories!"

-- Lena Horne (movie star)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 68 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 30, 1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067122350X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671223502
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (129 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Where We Live > City Life

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I rawther love love love this book! April 7, 2000

By J. Hauer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

As we all know, Eloise is six and she lives at the Plaza Hotel with her Nanny who says things three times, her dog Weenie, her turtle Skipperdee and two dolls. When I was a child, I adored this book and wanted to be just like Eloise. She does whatever she wants and gets away with it.

As an adult, I feel so sorry for Eloise because her mother only sends for her when it's sunny and otherwise isn't present. What a poor little girl to grow up so alone!

However, this is a tremendously humorous and beautifully illustrated classic that can always make me grin from ear to ear. I looooovve room service too! Oh, and charge it please. Thank you very much.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Childlike and Literary June 12, 1999

By C. Burch

Format:Hardcover

A few weeks ago, I took a friend and her two 5 year old twin girls to dinner. There was a 45 minute wait, and we went to the bookstore next door. I was dreading the prospect of entertaining two 5 year olds for 45 minutes until I saw a copy of Eloise, which has been out of print for many years. I sat down and started reading to them. The time flew by. A few older women walked by and smiled. I like to think that they had read the book when they were little girls. The 45 minutes went by all too soon for me.

What can I say about Eloise? We named our DOG Eloise when I was a boy. It is both literary and true to children. It is one of the books (like Charlotte's Web or Black Beauty) that stays in your heart from childhood.

Give it to your children.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is about a tiny 6yr girl Eloise who lives in the plaza October 30, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is a great book were a little girl name Eloise who lives with her Nanny on the top floor of the Plaza in New York. Eloise is a curious girl that always finds herself in trouble. Everyone in the Plaza knows Eloise if they want to or not! Eloise sometimes even goes off subject in the book like " My mother has a Nieman Marcus Charge Card!" If you are a little girl, pre-teen, teen or even an adult you will love this book! If you can get the ABOUSOLUTLY ESSENTIAL EDITION because this has a scrapbook in the end! If you live in New york it is very fun. As i used to ! I even read this to my 2 year old sister Natilie and my new twin sisters Audrey and Tiffany.Natty just cracks up! Well just enjoy!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll either love or hate this book.... August 17, 2005

By Lin

Format:Hardcover

This is a book that parents will either love or hate. I can certainly identify with the parents who gave this book 1 star. It is true that you'd be horrified if you had a child that acted like Eloise - she's naughty, rude, demanding and disrespectful. This book was written in 1955 and yes, one illustration shows the nanny smoking in front of Eloise. The text is written as a reflection of Eloise's internal dialogue, so no, it is not always grammatically correct. The text reminds me a little of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day. It is also true that the parents are nowhere to be seen in this book. Eloise has essentially been 'abandoned' by her parents and is cared for exclusively by the nanny. Her day is spent roaming around the Plaza Hotel.

Why the 5 stars then? Because this is a very funny book with extremely engaging 1950s style illustrations. Eloise endears herself to you despite her naughtiness. There are many things in this book that you could use to teach your child a moral lesson if you wished to. It is a VERY CLEVER book despite what to some might seem major drawbacks. I do agree with the other reviewers though that 4 - 8 years is a totally inappropriate age group. The dust cover of the book itself states for 7 years up which is far more on the mark. The book is more of an `early reader' for a 7 or 8 year old - it's not a bed-time story for a younger child. I can see how little girls would absolutely love it!

This is a book that you really want to borrow from the library before you buy it - what other reviewers have said is true in this case I think - don't rely on reviews - see the book for yourself.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Some people just don't get it... March 12, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

It is beyond me how anyone could have given this book any rating below 4 or 5 stars. Reading through some of the low rated comments I just can't help but feel that the people just didn't 'get' Eloise.

Eloise is a little girl living in a very adult world, and still she finds ways to be a child and to have a childhood.

No, she's not a role model for children, but I think they can understand that. My own children understood that they could never do the things that Eloise does, but they sure had fun thinking about what might happen if they did.

The last thing I want to say is that you have to remember these books were written in the late 1950s. After decades of politically correct, sickly sweet children's books it's easy to forget that there was a time when people wrote books for children that did not insult their intelligence.

Read Eloise... read Eloise in Paris... read all of them. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars eloise is the best August 9, 2004

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

as 1 reviewer said, some people just dont get eloise

she isnt meant to be a role model, shes the wildness inside you

she doesnt care what you think of her or how that makes her look socially she just is herself-in a way she is a role model, just to an extreme

she lives with her nanny who is under orders to let her do whatever she wants, within reason

Unfotunately, Nanny has NO reason, and no control

THESE ARE THE BEST BOOKS ALSO READ

ELOISE IN PARIS

ELOISE IN MOSCOW

ELOISE AT CHRISTMAS TIME

ELOISE TAKES A BAWTH