The Absolutely Essential Eloise (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Hilary Knight (Illustrator, Afterword)
Key Phrases: The Plaza

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Maurice Sendak calls Eloise a "brazen, loose-limbed little monster." Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Quindlen finds her pathetic and lonely. Eloise gave Vanity Fair writer Marie Brenner "permission to rebel." Anyone who has been introduced to the eccentric 6-year-old who spends her days at large in New York's Plaza Hotel pouring water down the mail chute and managing her self-imposed responsibilities is fascinated, fascinated, fascinated. She is the only girl we know who feeds her turtle raisins and braids his ears, wears Kleenex boxes on her head (they make very good hats), and gets away with everything. Even if you have seven copies of the original Eloise, you may want to add The Absolutely Essential Eloise to your collection. In addition to the full splendor of the original 65-page Eloise story, this special edition includes an 18-page scrapbook, written by Marie Brenner, with "photographs of Miss Kay Thompson when she was young and fabulous and rawther like Eloise" and never-before-seen photographs, memorabilia, and sketches and stories from illustrator Hilary Knight. Anyone who adores Eloise and is intrigued by her talented creators should have this book within easy reach. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1955, renewed 1983 by Kay Thompson. Scrapbook text copyright 1999 by Marie Brenner. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.) (Ages 5 to 105) --Karin Snelson

Product Description

Here is everything you need to know about Eloise (the enormously famous little girl who lives at the Plaza Hotel) because in the front of this book we have printed the original Eloise story & pictures and in the back of it there are sketches that nobody has seen before by Mr. Hilary Knight (the Artist) and photographs of Miss Kay Thompson when she was young and fabulous rawther like Eloise and absolutely loads of information that you simply cawn't cawn't cawn't get anywhere else. Here's the thing: whether you are just about to fall in love with Eloise or you already adore her you ought to have this book. (Charge it please and thank you very much.)

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Special Limited Edition #245 of 250 edition (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689827032
• ISBN-13: 978-0689827037
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #977,096 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #36 in	Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Book Characters > Eloise
  #49 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( K ) > Knight, Hilary

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 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 "me" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Eloise (Eloise Series) (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.

24 of 25 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

This review is from: Eloise (Eloise Series) (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!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Childlike and Literary, June 13, 1999

By	C. Burch (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.