Kay Thompson's Eloise

 

Thompson, Kay. Eloise. Illustrated by Hilary Knight. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955. ISBN 978-0671223502

Plot

Eloise is a six-year-old girl with an active imagination, and a lot of energy, who lives in a luxurious hotel: The Plaza. She introduces us to her world, describing her home, belongings, likes, and dislikes. Eloise has many things to keep her busy throughout the day, from greeting the desk clerks and switchboard operators to having lessons with her tutor to caring for her pets, a turtle named Skipperdee and a dog (who looks like a cat) named Weenie. She is mainly watched over by her nanny, though she spends enough time on her own to explore all the rooms in the hotel and get into plenty of trouble, all in the name of good fun of course.

Analysis

Although Eloise apparently comes from a wealthy family, lives in a posh hotel (with room service!) in the 1950s, and has maids, children will still relate to her rambunctious, playful, and entirely unapologetic behavior. She bounces from activity to activity, with text and illustrations bouncing right along with her. Abrupt changes in thought and activity are often accompanied by several small illustrations per page. The text, straightforward, often ironic, and serious in the way young children tend to be, is written in the first person from Eloise’s point of view. The lack of punctuation lends a sense of urgency to Eloise, mimicking the way talkative and busy children tend to speak. The energetic black-and-white sketches, with fine strokes and splashes of pink, add detail and reveal some of the truth behind what Eloise is describing. The text and artwork come together to give us a complete picture of each humorous event, such as when Eloise “help[s] the busboys and waiters get set up in the Crystal Room,” tripping a flustered waiter and causing a tray full of martinis to come crashing down.

The lack of relatability in certain aspects (Eloise is not only unusually wealthy but also white, as are most, if not all, of the other characters), the unfamiliarity of some of the language and setting, and occasional lengthy passages mean that this book may be best read aloud or read together. It will also likely be enjoyed more by children a bit older than Eloise herself.

When left to their own devices, curious children will get into all sorts of scrapes, whether they live in a hotel or not.

Awards and Recognitions

Although Eloise has received no awards, it has been well-received and is considered an iconic classic—read and read again by multiple generations of children and precocious grown-ups.

“The extremely detailed and minimal color illustrations really bring Eloise to life. Eloise lives every little girl’s dream as she plays all day doing exactly what she wants. Who would have thought there was so much fun to be had in a stuffy, fancy hotel?”—Heidi, BookHive

“Eloise was first introduced to readers in 1955. Back then, she was described as the first ‘naughty little girl’ in a book, allowing readers to push aside such goody-two-shoes as Heidi and Nancy Drew. She was the little rich girl who was allowed to misbehave, create, explore, and live independently. […] Eloise is still considered naughty, although, the current expression may be “‘spirited.’”—Andrea Sears Andrews, Children’s Literature

Connections

The unfamiliar elements of the book, such as switchboard operators and cod-liver oil, could lead to an interesting discussion with older children about life in the 1950s, what has changed, and what has stayed the same. Younger children would enjoy talking about what it would be like to live in a modern hotel, and could even write or tell their own story. The numerous, detailed illustrations would also give children, younger and older, a chance to practice storytelling and describing scenes.

Consider reading additional books about Eloise, such as Eloise in Paris, written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight, and Eloise Visits the Zoo, Eloise’s Pirate Adventure, or Eloise and the Snowman, written by Lisa McClatchy and illustrated by Tammie Lyon (based on the original artwork).

Read other books with humorous, trouble-causing main characters such as:

• Amelia Bedelia, written by Peggy Parish and illustrated by Fritz Seibel
• No, David!, written and illustrated by David Shannon
• Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
• Harry the Dirty Dog written by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham
• The Cat in the Hat, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.