Kay Thompson's, Eloise: Book Review

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Thompson, Kay. 1955. ELOISE. Ill. By Hilary Knight. Simon and Schuster Books. ISBN 0-671-22350-x

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

In this eccentric picture book, Kay Thompson writes about a rambunctious, six year-old girl who lives in The Plaza Hotel in New York. Thompson’s depiction of the young girl’s life, sets the tone of the story; Eloise, the protagonist, lives with her English Nanny, her mother is traveling abroad and only sends for her when convenient, she’s homeschooled her tutor Phillip, she has two pets, a turtle named Skipperdee and a dog named Weenie. The story details the life of a very young child that for the most part is left to her own devices, who keeps herself busy, by constantly wandering and roaming throughout every inch of the hotel. At times, Eloise can seem as a troublemaker or rude, but she is a young girl dealing with her life’s circumstances; she is trying to not be encompassed by boredom, and she finds unconventional ways to entertain herself and keep busy. There is a darker undertone within the book, there is a sense of loneliness and abandonment, because of the lack of parental supervision, love and care. As well as, the lack of encounters with other children, Eloise keeps mentioning adults all around her, whether it be her nanny or hotel staff, but not once references children.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Thomson’s writing display’s Eloise’s internal dialogue, the text interprets the child’s feelings, mannerisms and quirks. The author’s writing style shines through with lines such as, “She is not yet pretty, but she is already a Person.” This book was written  in the time-period of the 1950s, it is a rather reflective account told through the eyes of a child, who in a sense feels abandoned by her parents, and left under the care of her beloved nanny, who although is great, by any means can never replace a mother.

Hilary Knight’s illustrations brilliantly captured the fun energy of a young child, and brings the story to life. The dominating color scheme is pink, used in different undertones, and black and white. The pictures are drawn in black and white, with textured lines and shading done to contrast certain parts of the image. The pink is used on certain areas to accentuate and provide a spotlight on something. Eloise herself is drawn in an idiosyncratic fashion, her hair is drawn to look unkempt, and the line technique used is effective and is a contrast to her bright fuchsia bow, while her attire consists of a white shirt and small, black pleated skirt, with knee high socks and black closed-toe shoes. The rooms and hallways are a shade of baby pink, and certain spots where Eloise walks or runs through are spotlighted fuchsia. The illustrator’s pictures are precise, with attention to detail, making it visually appealing.  

Each picture done by Knight, wonderfully depicts the story being told by Thompson. The movable section of this picture book appears near the beginning of the book, on page 13 out of 65 pages, the flap opens upward and in it illustrates Thompson’s narrative of Eloise going up the elevator while ensuing in her shenanigans. When published originally in 1955, this book was for “precocious grown-ups,” so the age range that this story would be appropriate for would be 3^rd grade students and up. The vocabulary would be a bit challenging for younger readers, but it would serve wonderfully as a book to read aloud to students. Eloise, is a good book to share with children because they will be able to connect because most children will be drawn to it and identify with some of her antics since it is an imaginative, humorous, fun book to read!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in TIME MAGAZINE: “She is a magnificent moppet…”

Starred review in THE NEW YORK TIMES: “Eloise is one of the most recognizable characters in children’s literature.”

5. CONNECTIONS

If you feel comfortable leading a discussion about the importance of parental involvement, or children’s misbehavior, this is a book that can show the readers what can happen if a child is unsupervised and feels alone.

Other books illustrated by Hilary Knight, conveying the same classic undercurrent of a child’s wild antics are: Eloise in Paris and Eloise At Christmastime.

Accompanying books for children:

Thompson, Kay. Eloise in Paris. ISBN 978-0689827044

Thompson, Kay. Eloise At Christmastime. 978-0689830396