Eloise: A book for precocious grown ups

Thompson, Kay.  1955.  Eloise: A book for precocious grown ups.  Ill. by Hilary Knight.  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  ISBN 067122350X

Plot:

 Picture a luxurious hotel known for its distinct exterior and historical significance, a place where the elite gather for afternoon tea and a child named Eloise who lives in the hotel.  The Plaza Hotel is a prestigious hotel where notable guests are New York socialites. The book takes you through Eloise's adventures from the hotel lobby, to the elevators and ballrooms to show how she spends her day.  Her life is filled with fun activities, visiting guests, playing with toys, and ordering room service.   All these activities under the watchful eye of her precious nanny who cares for Eloise.  Eloise has a life of privilege and uses it at her leisure.  Whether she skips, hops, jumps, runs or walks through the hotel, Eloise takes you into her world, as seen through her eyes.

Critical Analysis:

The main character, Eloise, is a small child whose companion is her nanny, a dog named Weenie, and Skipperdee, a pet turtle.  Eloise seems to be a lonely child, as she lives in a hotel, with no other child companion.  The book makes one reference to a mother but is underdeveloped and not a part of the main story line.  Eloise seems to pass the day by keeping herself busy.  Her imagination runs wild and fills her day with activities to occupy time. 

The story seems to focus on a wealthy society at The Plaza Hotel.  It  is known for their glamorous establishment and location in New York City.  The author uses French phrases to add an air of sophistication to the book.  It feels, as if, you are among the finest in the world. 

The grandeur of The Plaza Hotel is seen through the remarkable drawings by Hilary Knight.  The illustrator used black, white and pink throughout the book, to show the elegant backdrop of the hotel.  The luxury of the hotel can be seen by the attire that the guest are wearing.  The illustrations mimic the story and anyone can follow the main idea. 

In the book, there are some phrases that are repetitive, in order, to accentuate the language distinction of a culture.  The author uses the character ,nanny, to place those phrases to emphasize the meaning of a word.    Spelling errors are noted throughout the book, possibly due to the phonics of each word.

The author references time on the last page of the book, as if, all the activities take place in one day, as suppose to throughout a week. 

Excerpts:

Top 100 Picture Books #37- School Library Journal 2009

Top 100 Picture Books #76- School Library Journal 2012

1998 Literary Landmark- The Plaza Hotel (where the books setting is written from)

Connections:

Other Kay Thompson Books:

Eloise in Paris ISBN 0689827040                 

Eloise in Moscow ISBN 0689832117           

Eloise at Christmastime ISBN 0689830394              

-Activities for children-

Ask school children, what activities would they do at a hotel, if it was their permanent home?

Would you like to live in a hotel?  Why?

Children could be asked to draw their version of an "Eloise room."

Personal Response:

I believe the book is relatable to many children whose parents work away from home.  It is a great book to teach children to keep themselves busy by doing fun activities.  From running, playing or finding thing to do, children can create a schedule of activities to entertain themselves for the day.  It teaches critical thinking because a child must make a list of things to do.  Although Eloise is a privileged child, her daily activities are simplistic and don't require monetary funds.  The moral of the story is to have fun.