Eloise
Author: Kay
Thompson
Illustrator: Hilary Knight
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1955
ISBN: 9780671223502
Main Characters:
Eloise, Nanny (Eloise’s companion), Weenie (Eloise’s
dog), & Skipperdee (Eloise’s turtle)
Plot: Eloise is a six-year-old city child. She lives with her nanny, Weenie, and Skipperdee.
She lives in a plush hotel in New York called the Plaza Hotel, and her favorite
color is pink. She uses her imagination often and goes to “rawther festive”
parties. She spends her time braiding Skipperdee’s ears, traveling in disguise
with Weenie in his glasses, and discovering new things about people who aren’t
boring.
Unfortunately, Eloise often annoys the hotel staff when finding things
to do with herself. Her absent parents create an emptiness in her life that
Eloise fills with other people and a self-sufficient determination.
Setting:
The Plaza Hotel in New York City
Children’s Picture Book. Humor
The style of the book is a word-heavy picture book with a fold-out section. The writing has a childlike flow to it in a non-stop kind of chatter.
4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁
Why 4 Roars? While the book does not directly put into words the concept of a child with little supervision, the artwork does allude to it. An older reader might pick up on the hidden feelings and loss.
Critical
Analysis: The book is lighthearted but takes on the undertones
of absent parenting and a required independence for an unsupervised little girl.
The hotel staff become
non-consenting caregivers in a plucky child’s life,
due to the lack of attendance on the part of her missing family.
Eloise courageously
tackles the world primarily through a child’s view with little help from caretakers. One finds themselves cheering for Eloise and her adventurous lifestyle.
Illustrations: The illustrations use black and white with
bursts of pink to accentuate Eloise’s love of pink and her creative nature.
Connections:
Eloise in Paris by Kay Thompson
Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson
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