Here is everyone's favorite "enfant terrible"--Eloise--making life anything but dull, dull, dull. A true modern classic.

There is never a dull moment with Eloise, a six year-old girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. She is constantly overflowing with confidence, creativity and excitement. Eloise enthusiastically narrates the story in the first person, presenting her daily routine to readers as though she is helping the various factions of the hotel staff. The pictures, however, show quite another story; Eloise and her giant imagination are causing ruckus all over the hotel! The illustrations are hand drawn and primarily black-and-white, with just a splash of pink touching a few objects. The interesting color patterning is surprisingly eye catching. There is also a fair amount of text on teach page, but it is separated into a few groups of shorter sentences spread around the pictures, so it does not seem overwhelming. The sentence structure cleverly lacks all punctuation to mimic the childish excitement and speed that Eloise is speaking in. Like many six year-olds, she tends to jump from one thought to the next without taking a break.

Another element of Eloise that is sure to entertain your child is her humor. Whether you're laughing at her antics or something silly she says, you will be just as entertained - if not more so - than your little one. "I have a dog that looks like a cat. His name is Weenie." She also has a turtle named Skipperdee that eats raisins, wears sneakers, and will develop a rash if Eloise doesn't braid its ears first thing in the morning. Perhaps Eloise's adventures (real and pretend) will spark some stories of their own from your child, or inspire them to let their imagination run wild the way Eloise's does. One way to read the story is to let your little one 'read' the pictures and tell their own story based on the pictures.

My friend Sam liked the length of this book. He quickly learned the story and wouldn't let me skip a single line.  He thought Eloise was funny and cute. He particularly loveed it when I read the book in an excited, non-pausing manner - just as Eloise would do if she were telling the story in person. 

--Audra