Eloise in Paris (by Kay Thompson)

Eloise absolutely loves Paris! From the unpacking to the sightseeing and dining, Eloise's enthusiasm for her new surroundings and the foreign language is delightful to both grown-ups and kids. Plenty of extra humor is doodled into the superb drawings that accompany the breathless narrative in Eloise's voice.

 

"Pas de quoi d'accord and zut," says Eloise as she and Nanny embrace life in Paris. Even if parents stumble over the French, Eloise's adoption of foreign words just for the sounds is contagious. Who can resist saying "regardez" and "parapluie"? In this second book about Eloise, there is no gradual introduction to Eloise's helter-skelter pace: The cablegram arrives, and Eloise runs nonstop from that moment on through every new experience. With the same zeal with which she explored the Plaza, Eloise now takes on all of Paris. Parents in particular will appreciate how well Kay Thompson captures every French foible, from traffic to fashion to sidewalk cafés.

Rather than budgeting one picture per page, illustrator Hilary Knight intersperses many images of Eloise among the text. In black and white and hues of red with bits of blue, the illustrations capture many marvelous expressions. Children will love to study the pages and will often stop to point out details such as Eloise's turtle, which is about to bite another café patron's toes. Paris is the perfect city for a precocious child like Eloise, and she embodies the best kind of fearless tourist.

Author: Kay Thompson
Illustrator: Hilary Knight
Publisher: Buccaneer Books
Publication date: December 31, 1969
Number of pages: 64
Hardcover price: $17.00