Customer Reviews

Eloise in Paris (Eloise Series)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was my absolute favorite childhood book! I read it at least 1000 times! It allowed me to fantasize what it was like to be a rich little girl and travel to Paris (something I still haven't done!). It also gave me an interest in learning French, which I studied for 10 years. Most of all, it allowed me to see that being a strong, freeminded, quirky girl (woman) was OK. Eloise doesn't have a hard time saying what she means or doing what she wants even though it may not be conventional. A good role model for little girls!

"Je suis Me ELOISE"

Think of this book as a combination French lesson and tour guide to Paris and Versailles, conducted by the inimitable Eloise. You've never had such fun! This book will be appealing to all of those who loved Eloise when they were chronologically young and are still young at heart. The book is a worthy sequel to the original Eloise by patterning the story as much as possible after the first book. Whether you have been to Paris or not, you will be delighted!

A cablegram comes from Eloise's mother, and Eloise practically knocks the Plaza to its knees to get it. Then Nanny has to hold it far away to read the message. Eloise's mother wants them to come to Paris to get roses in their cheeks. Eloise telephones everyone at the Plaza to let them know she is going. There are many things to do including shopping, passports, vaccinations, and packing. Pretty soon they are on their way with 37 pieces of luggage. "Everyone knew we were going, but no one cried."

Eloise, Nanny, Weenie (the pug), and Skipperdee (the turtle) fly by Sabena to Belgium (because it's the only airline that lets turtles fly with the people). From there, they take a helicopter to Paris. They are met there by Koki, the chauffeur of mother's lawyer. He takes them to the Relais Bisson, which is the only place Eloise stays in Paris. It is near the Seine so they can get the salty smell from the air. Mme. and M. Dupuis greet them.

. . . But the Realais Bisson is not the Plaza. There is no elevator. The room is small. Eloise knows that she has to get outside to have a good time. And she sure does. But at night, she manages some of her usual fun by visiting all the rooms . . . just to make a few adjustments.

Among her many exciting outside events are having a dress designed for her by M. Dior, dinner at Maxim's ("My mother knows Maxim" . . . and yes, she does charge the meal there.), and visits to every possible monument and public place. Along the way, she finds a novel use for French bread that I'll bet you never have tried. The scenes in Paris and Versailles are beautifully drawn by Hilary Knight in the original Eloise style. You'll love them.

The book could easily double as a French language lesson. Eloise explains all kinds of french nouns and adjectives that are useful to travelers in a way that makes them easy to remember.

"Oh I absolutely miss the Plaza" and then it's time to go back. This time she has 114 pieces of luggage. "J'aime beaucoup le Plaza" is her first comment upon returning.

I think a hidden blessing of this book is that it will kindle an irresistible urge to visit Paris. If you read the book to your children when they are young, you will probably have an easier time recruiting them as traveling companions for a wonderful family vacation in France.

If you already know French, you will also enjoy little jokes that are included in that language. If you do not know French, you'll still enjoy the book very much.

After you have finished enjoying this wonderful book, I suggest that you think about how you can take a trip that will cause you to change your usual life style . . . so that you learn new ways of thinking about life, as well as seeing new sights.

Vive la France! Vive Eloise!

I read Eloise (at the Plaza) and Eloise in Paris - all 'very much' Kay. I loved that woman - a very good friend of my mom's. I worked with/for her when (as a teenager) I did her musical arrangements and orchestrations for her fabulous act with The Williams Brothers - which opened in Vegas and played all over the world.

She was one of a kind (you can see her in Funny Face) brilliant musical/vocal arranger herself, world traveler, racounter, incredible lady. I've bumper into her in Rome, Paris, London, New York, LA and was terribly saddened by her death (even though she was painfully painfully thin her whole life). She was one of the great women in the history of show biz. The Eloise books are thrilling to say the least and I continually laugh every time I pick one up even after I've gone through them 100 times. I'm ordering them once again as I left mine in London and MUST have them once again. Buddy Bregman

I love Eloise!!! Eloise in Paris is my favorite Eloise book. What's really fun are those long made up words such as "zuk zuk zhwocky zuk zuk nnnn" for their Plaza telephone. With the "charming" six year old as the star, this book is about how a rich girl spends time in Paris with Nanny, Skipperdee (Turtle), Weenie (dog), and Koki (chauffeur). It's very creative; all of Kay Thompson's books are. I read the first Eloise book to a bunch of friends in my college dorm, and I only got past four or five pages because they were all saying, "C'mon, Hilary!!! That's enough!" I also went through this phase a year or so ago where I sent E-Mails saying: "The Bell Captain Knows Who I am!" which left most of my friends perplexed. I remember the response of one friend: "That's really great, but who's the Bell Captain?" It's quite odd because books can create all sorts of situations for people. The funny words or phrases can start jokes as well. One of my friends and I thought it was weird that Eloise said that paper cups were good for talking to Mars, and we sometimes say on the phone to eachother, "have you talked to Mars yet?"

From the viewpoint of a Beatnik, Eloise In Paris and all the rest of the books about her are some of the beatest kids books I've seen!

Kay Thompson based the character of Eloise on her goddaughter, Liza Minnelli (which means that the mother who sends the cablegram telling them to go to Paris is Judy Garland, probably off on a film set somewhere).

I loved, loved, loved this book as a child. As soon as I saw it in a used bookstore I knew I had to have it (I still have that old copy, a first edition). I was completely captivated by Hilary Knight's illustrations (he also did the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, by the way). It made me want to go to Paris so badly, and when I finally went at age 24 it was like a dream come true. I often thought of Eloise, Nanny, and the rest while there.

This is my favorite Eloise book. As an Eloise fan and a dedicated Travel-buff, this book is a perreniel favorite.

My sister and I had a battered copy that had belonged to my mom. Little did we know that it was a first edition. Unfortunately, with the cover missing and many of the pages creased and loose, it certainly didn't look like much.

That didn't matter to us, all the pages were still there, and we read that book, along with Eloise and Eloise in Moscow, over and over again. How happy I was to see that these books have been re-printed.

I first discovered this book about 11 years ago in Paris. I read the French version to the children I cared for. What a wonderful children's story. Ever since, I have often imagined what it would be like to be Eloise (ahem, that's Heloise in French) wandering around as a child in Paris for the first time. Imagine the magic! It's what little girl's daydreams are made of! My French children loved the book and carried it with them everywhere proving that this book is universal in its appeal.

Eloise gets a telegram one day from her mum inviting her and Nanny to come over to Paris. Eloise can't wait. She falls onto the French capital like an American storm and goes just about everywhere. She dines, sightsees, meets locals, gets a dress made just for her by none other than M. Dior, and she eats so much she gains "rawther" a lot of weight. In the end, Eloise misses the Plaza and is happy about her return home to New York. In a nice touch, in the doorway above the famous old hotel Eloise and Nanny call home, a big banner hangs, and it reads, "Welcome Back Eloise!" Eloise has gone full circle and we feel we've taken every galloping step along the way with her. Yet another fun and charming volume in the Eloise series from Kay Thompson and Hillary Knight!

I just about cried with joy to see this book on the homepage of Amazon.com. I read this book as a child at my grandmother's house, and when subsequent grandchildren visited in later years, the book disappeared. I am now 31 and have been searching and waiting for at least 10 years for this, my all-time favorite book. My father is French, and I loved comparing Eloise's views and interpretations with my own visits (so very different!). I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

I love all the Eloise books! and the Eloise in Paris did not disapoint me it was great and with all the Eloise book the story's are great but the drawn pictures are so good and go with the story so well. I have 3 of the series (Eloise, Eloise in Paris (in french and english) and Eloise Christmas. I want to read all the books in the series and see where Eloise and her pets and nanny go next! =)