Customer Reviews

Eloise in Hollywood

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I hated this book. It's probably the worst children's book I've read to my children. It's not even really a story at all. It's pages of very small writing without punctuation and just pages of comments on Hollywood. There's really no theme, no characters, no storyline. We love the Eloise movies and other books but this book does not follow the pattern of the other books. We were very disappointed. My kids love almost all books (even the poors ones) and even they hated this book. My seven-year-old didn't even want to finish it. They said the movie is much better, however. But don't waste your money on this book.

My biggest problem with this book is that it's clearly an imitation of the earlier Eloise books by authors who are not Kay Thompson and an artist who is not Hilary Knight. While everyone involved does a good job of mimicking the original styles of Thompson and Knight, it doesn't quite ring true, and smacks of being an additional product brought out to try and capitalize on the continuing popularity of the originals. I'll stick with the "real" Eloise, thanks.

Mind you, when I was a little girl, I was always more about "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans, but I also have fond memories of the "Eloise" book, too, so I was intrigued by this "new" title when I saw it recently at a local used book store. So I sat there, right in the kid's section and read it from cover to cover.

First the positives:

The drawings, of course, were delightful...and the basic premise of the storyline was fun. After all, who hasn't dreamed of going to Hollywood and being in the movies and meeting movie stars? I know I did when I was a girl, and was very fortunate to be able to live that dream as an adult. The book is well researched in that way and much of what it says about the "business" is accurate.

Now the negatives:

If one is going to have Eloise go "Hollywood" they need to decide which era they're going to stick with, and then keep Eloise there. Time travel doesn't work in this case. Parts of the book deals with what is clearly 1940s-1950s Hollywood and part of it is placed in the present. Think about it: who takes a train to H'wood nowadays?

Also there are certain things where artistic license just doesn't cut it: the "pink" hotel with the bungalows is NOT the Hollywood Hills Hotel but the Beverly Hills Hotel...at least get that part right. Yes, we're being "imaginative" but some things still should remain in reality such as the names of actual places and landmarks. Was there some trademark issue with the BHH that didn't allow the use of the actual name?

At any rate, I doubt that children today could really appreciate the various references in this specific book. Sure, kids seem more "sophisticated" than when I was a child in the 1960s, but they're not that sophisticated! Most of the humor, the descriptions about how Hollywood "works" and various scenarios in the book would go right over the heads of the average 4-8 year olds whom this book is allegedly geared for. Either that, or it might quite possible bore them. Let's face it, the reference to Shirley Temple is passe and Eloise herself is no Hannah Montana, Raven, Cheetah Girls or Disney Princess...the kinds of Hollywood stars kids today like.

Eloise In Hollywood is a book written in a "kid's style", and it may be intended for kid's reading... but more likely this book will have a greater appeal for their MOTHERS or even GRANDMOTHERS, the women who are Baby Boomers or early Gen X'ers (age 40-60) who may have been Eloise fans in their youth and who want to re-live the story in newer settings they may identify with. As long as the book is marketed that way, and read in that spirit, then it's not so bad.

Mind you, Kay Thompson the author of Eloise would probably turn over in her grave at this thought, but it might actually work to have Eloise marketed towards adult women instead of kids (perhaps as a gift set with gourmet coffee, a pink cup, or biscotti or something): Just think of the franchise that could be launched if appropriately marketed toward women of a certain age: Eloise gets psychotherapy, Eloise gets plastic surgery, Eloise and her mid-life crisis, Eloise the Cougar lol, Eloise's Croning Ceremony hahahaha j/k

Overall, I think this book may make a cute gift for a grown up who is still a "kid at heart" who also happens to like Hollywood culture (maybe for a "landmark" birthday such as 40, 45 or 50), but as a gift for actual chronologically aged kids? Uhhh...No. I think that would fall flat. Best to stick with the classic Eloise books in that case.

I have been a fan of Eloise since childhood. This book has charming illustrations, but lacks the crisp humor of Kay Thompson's originals. Though written and illustrated by another author and illustrator, it is pretty faithful to its predecessors--just lacks the "magic" of the original set of stories.

I agree with other comments that the "story" is really just commentary about Hollywood, without so much as punctuation. But my biggest gripe is the reference to drinking gin and illustrations that portray Nanny drinking martinis and other people smoking. Are you serious? That is completely unnecessary and inappropriate.

Since my granddaughter loves Eloise and actually lives in Hollywood..this was a very appropriate gift to add to her library...very enjoyable!