Module 2 - Eloise

Eloise by Kay Thompson

Summary - Eloise is the story of a precocious little girl who lives in The Plaza Hotel in New York City. Taking the reader through an 'average' day in Eloise's life, the book explores the interests and activities of this 'rawther' young girl, her Plaza family, and her imaginary world of fun, fun, fun.

Impressions - Eloise is a very dynamic story, full of energy and few periods. The story keeps moving at such a frenetic pace that it is sometimes hard to pick out any subtext to the very active, and unusual, exploits off its six-year old protagonist. However, peeling back the surface layer of fun and frivolity, Eloise is creating noise in her world in a effort to proclaim herself a part of it - the constant repetition of her own name speaks to this as well. While the book may not offer us enough information to fully state that Eloise's mother (a father is never mentioned) is a distant parent at best, completely neglectful of her daughter at worst, it does show us with some clarity a little girl who, separated/abandoned by her 'real' family, creates a family group of her own with the people who populate her daily world. Many readers feel "sorry for Eloise", but the strength of the story is Eloise's lack of pitifulness - her constant and intrinsic strength of character, her love for her animals and Nanny, and her joy in the simple pleasures of life. Children may wonder where Eloise's mom and dad are, but can move swiftly past this by focusing on Nanny, room service, Skipperdee and Weenie, and Eloise herself and the fun family group they make. It is important for the children who read/hear Eloise to understand that families are made of all sorts of people, not just Moms, Dads, and children, and that even when a "normal" situation is gone, life can still be full of fun, adventure, and love.

Reviews - The most useful reviews in relation to Eloise come from the readers who have enjoyed the story over the years. On Amazon.com, some of the best reviews describe how "tremendously humorous and beautifully illustrated" the book is, and how it remains a classic tale which they remember fondly from their childhoods (reviews by J. Hauer(1) and C. Burch (2)). There are some that mention "poor Eloise" and state how some children are saddened or scared by the lack of parents in her life, but this just continues to show the strength of the book - how it forces children to look outside of 'normal' and understand that children can be happy in all kinds of situations and families.

Use - Eloise is usually rated at a pre-K or K age reader level (4-5), although with the continuing series and the movie based on the book, older children can also find Eloise accessible and entertaining. It would be especially useful to read and then base an activity off of as the story is heavily action oriented. There are some phrases and word choices which may be parodied/picked up by young readers (Nanny's use of triples for emphasis, Eloise's use of the grownup phrase "For Lord's sake") so instructors should note these and modify if need be. Overall, Eloise makes for a fun and engaging story time read.

(1) Hauer, J. (2000, April 7). Eloise (Eloise Series). Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Eloise-Kay-Thompson/dp/067122350X

(2) Burch, C. (1999, June 12). Eloise (Eloise Series). Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Eloise-Kay-Thompson/dp/067122350X