Product Description

Bonjour!

Here's the thing of it: Paris has just been discovered by Eloise the little girl from the Plaza...

Here is what Eloise does in Paris: everything.

The effect is rawther extraordinaire. If you come to Paris with Eloise you will always be glad you did.

Eloise in Paris was first published in 1957, the second of the Eloise quartet, and an immediate bestseller. Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight traveled to Paris to research the book, and the illustrations are dotted with the celebrities they knew there: Richard Avedon takes Eloise's passport photograph; Christian Dior prods her tummy, while his young assistant, Yves Saint Laurent, looks on; Lena Horne sits at an outdoor café.

All four Eloise books by the late Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight -- Eloise: The Absolutely Essential Edition, Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime, and Eloise in Moscow -- are now being reissued by Simon & Schuster.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #204422 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 72 pages

Amazon.com Review
Why is Eloise, 6-year-old resident of the Plaza Hotel in New York City, going to Paris? She and Nanny were summoned by a cablegram from Eloise's mother, and, as we all know, "If you are going to Paris France / you have to turn into French and absolutely go wild / and put adhesive tape on you / and fall down a lot and sklathe the window / and stretch into the curtain and..." Ahh, the deliciously mad logic of Eloise. She promptly gets on the phone to tell everyone--including room service--that she is Paris bound. There's so much to do--shots, passport pictures, packing ("Here's what else you have to take / Everything"), and of course the endless good-byes. Fortunately, "Sabena is the only airline / that will allow you to travel with a turtle" so Skipperdee comes along for the ride. At last, ils arrivent!

Hilary Knight captures familiar Parisian sights in his delicately hewn pen-and-ink illustrations of everything from the Arc de Triomphe to the Seine to the Champs Élysées to outdoor cafés. Children will study every detail of each rawther extraordinaire illustration, from Weenie's snout (such as it is) peeking out from under the hotel bed to the bandy-legged, bunchy-shirted Eloise with her necklace of champagne corks. Even if children don't understand half of the quirks and language directed toward precocious grownups ("Langoustines make very good fingernails"), they'll find more than enough to delight them down to their very toes. Adults, of course, will also revel in this fascinatingly eccentric romp. And if you know anyone who loves (or will love) Paris, this book is the perfect bon voyage gift. Eloise in Paris was first published in 1957, the sequel to the original Eloise, and is every bit as wondrous. If you're in search of more Eloise (and who isn't really?), don't miss The Absolutely Essential Eloise, the original Eloise book with an additional scrapbook that tells the whole story of this impish character and her devoted creators. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1957 by Kay Thompson. Reproduced with permission of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.) (Ages 5 to 105) --Karin Snelson

About the Author
Kay Thompson (1909-1998) was a singer, dancer, vocal arranger, and coach of many MGM musicals in the 1940s.

The Eloise character grew out of the voice of a precocious six-year-old that Miss Thompson put on to amuse her friends. Collaborating with Hilary Knight on what was an immediate bestseller, Kay Thompson became a literary sensation when Eloise was published in 1955. The book has sold more than two million copies to date. Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight created four more Eloise books, Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmas, Eloise in Moscow, and Eloise Takes a Bawth.

Hilary Knight, son of artist-writers Clayton Knight and Katharine Sturges, was educated at the Art Students League, where he studied with Reginald Marsh. Besides the Eloise books, Hilary Knight has illustrated more than fifty books for children, six of which he wrote himself.

He lives and works in New York City, not far from The Plaza Hotel.

Customer Reviews

My Favorite Childhood Book!
This was my absolute favorite childhood book! I read it at least 1000 times! It allowed me to fantasize what it was like to be a rich little girl and travel to Paris (something I still haven't done!). It also gave me an interest in learning French, which I studied for 10 years. Most of all, it allowed me to see that being a strong, freeminded, quirky girl (woman) was OK. Eloise doesn't have a hard time saying what she means or doing what she wants even though it may not be conventional. A good role model for little girls!

J'Aime Beaucoup Eloise!
"Je suis Me ELOISE"

Think of this book as a combination French lesson and tour guide to Paris and Versailles, conducted by the inimitable Eloise. You've never had such fun! This book will be appealing to all of those who loved Eloise when they were chronologically young and are still young at heart. The book is a worthy sequel to the original Eloise by patterning the story as much as possible after the first book. Whether you have been to Paris or not, you will be delighted!

A cablegram comes from Eloise's mother, and Eloise practically knocks the Plaza to its knees to get it. Then Nanny has to hold it far away to read the message. Eloise's mother wants them to come to Paris to get roses in their cheeks. Eloise telephones everyone at the Plaza to let them know she is going. There are many things to do including shopping, passports, vaccinations, and packing. Pretty soon they are on their way with 37 pieces of luggage. "Everyone knew we were going, but no one cried."

Eloise, Nanny, Weenie (the pug), and Skipperdee (the turtle) fly by Sabena to Belgium (because it's the only airline that lets turtles fly with the people). From there, they take a helicopter to Paris. They are met there by Koki, the chauffeur of mother's lawyer. He takes them to the Relais Bisson, which is the only place Eloise stays in Paris. It is near the Seine so they can get the salty smell from the air. Mme. and M. Dupuis greet them.

. . . But the Realais Bisson is not the Plaza. There is no elevator. The room is small. Eloise knows that she has to get outside to have a good time. And she sure does. But at night, she manages some of her usual fun by visiting all the rooms . . . just to make a few adjustments.

Among her many exciting outside events are having a dress designed for her by M. Dior, dinner at Maxim's ("My mother knows Maxim" . . . and yes, she does charge the meal there.), and visits to every possible monument and public place. Along the way, she finds a novel use for French bread that I'll bet you never have tried. The scenes in Paris and Versailles are beautifully drawn by Hilary Knight in the original Eloise style. You'll love them.

The book could easily double as a French language lesson. Eloise explains all kinds of french nouns and adjectives that are useful to travelers in a way that makes them easy to remember.

"Oh I absolutely miss the Plaza" and then it's time to go back. This time she has 114 pieces of luggage. "J'aime beaucoup le Plaza" is her first comment upon returning.

I think a hidden blessing of this book is that it will kindle an irresistible urge to visit Paris. If you read the book to your children when they are young, you will probably have an easier time recruiting them as traveling companions for a wonderful family vacation in France.

If you already know French, you will also enjoy little jokes that are included in that language. If you do not know French, you'll still enjoy the book very much.

After you have finished enjoying this wonderful book, I suggest that you think about how you can take a trip that will cause you to change your usual life style . . . so that you learn new ways of thinking about life, as well as seeing new sights.

Vive la France! Vive Eloise!

Turning Into French
I love Eloise!!! Eloise in Paris is my favorite Eloise book. What's really fun are those long made up words such as "zuk zuk zhwocky zuk zuk nnnn" for their Plaza telephone. With the "charming" six year old as the star, this book is about how a rich girl spends time in Paris with Nanny, Skipperdee (Turtle), Weenie (dog), and Koki (chauffeur). It's very creative; all of Kay Thompson's books are. I read the first Eloise book to a bunch of friends in my college dorm, and I only got past four or five pages because they were all saying, "C'mon, Hilary!!! That's enough!" I also went through this phase a year or so ago where I sent E-Mails saying: "The Bell Captain Knows Who I am!" which left most of my friends perplexed. I remember the response of one friend: "That's really great, but who's the Bell Captain?" It's quite odd because books can create all sorts of situations for people. The funny words or phrases can start jokes as well. One of my friends and I thought it was weird that Eloise said that paper cups were good for talking to Mars, and we sometimes say on the phone to eachother, "have you talked to Mars yet?"

From the viewpoint of a Beatnik, Eloise In Paris and all the rest of the books about her are some of the beatest kids books I've seen!