Eloise: The Ultimate Edition

Kay Thompson's Eloise

by Kay Thompson

The Ultimate Edition Eloise - all four books in one fabulous volume for the most demanding of fans. If you love love love Eloise (who doesn't?). And you cawn't cawn't cawn't get enough of her (who can?) Then you simply Must have this absolutely enormous book. It has everything Eloise not just The Absolutely Essential and jolie Paris and fa la la la la Christmastime and dear gray Moscow, and a lovely new jacket by Mr. Knight. Even if you have all the Eloise books you need this one too. So charge it please and Thank You Very Much.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Classics, Humor, Juvenile, American

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Kay Thompson (1909–1998) was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best remembered as the creator of the Eloise children's books.

Reviews

[Bloodorange · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part was hands down the best when it comes to writing; the illustrations were perfect throughout, and I am a little bitter with the author that she did not allow Hilary Knight to earn his Eloise money for a long while; but the biggest suprise were the dark, dramatic moments:

My favourite word is pas de quoi
which is
oh it's quite all right I'm sure that you didn't mean
to crush my hand in the door even though it's bleeding and
practically throbbing with pain it's quite all right it doesn't
matter

or

and if there is an open door I have
to walk in and pretend I am an orphan
and sometimes I limp and sort of bend
to the side and look sort of
sad between the arms
and they give me a piece of melon or something

Surprising, to say the least.

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

i picked this up as a gift for my niece, who is now six, just like eloise. i had never read the eloise books as a child, for whatever reason. maybe because my parents didn't want me to turn into a brat. i read every book that anyone put down in front of me, including dune, moby dick, & cujo (all before the age of eight), so surely i would have read this if anyone had ever given it to me. eloise is a spoiled rich girl who lives in the penthouse apartment at the plaza hotel in new york. we never see her parents, although we learn that her mother is thirty, has an account at bergdorf's, is friends with coco chanel (the books are set in the mid-50s), & goes to paris a lot. eloise mostly hangs out with her nanny, her dog, her turtle, & a pigeon that visits a lot. & she runs around all over the hotel, palling around with various employees & annoying them & making their jobs more difficult. all of this is outlined in "eloise". in "eloise at christmas," she gives everyone gifts, which is nice. in "eloise in paris," she goes to paris & gets a designer dress & sees the sights & speaks french a lot. in "eloise in moscow," she goes to moscow & is tailed by the KGB & sees bread lines & the former palace & complains incessantly. she is a little bratty. & i can't really get on-board with her mega-privileged lifestyle. but...whatever. these books were okay. i think my niece should be reading more books about spunky young girls & watching a little less TV, so there you go.

[Alicia Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny. Misgive 6 year old girl name Eloise who advancers incudes:

Her life living at hotel, trip to Paris, Christmas at her apartment (along with song), and trip to Moscow .

[Courtney Mosier Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my daughter and its absolutely stunning. What a fun and beautiful edition! Its completely perfect.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the first book included in this volume, "The Absolutely Essential Eloise". This is Thompson-authorized Eloise as she intended it to be. "Eloise in Paris" is decent, but Eloise loses some of her je ne sais quoi if she is not in her native environment of The Plaza Hotel. I kind of like the French words and phrases dropped throughout, but I know French a little bit and even so it got tiresome by the end. "Eloise at Christmastime" has the advantage of returning us to The Plaza after the Paris book, but that is more than offset by being in rhyme. Also, the little Christmas music lyrics in tiny print at the bottom of the pages were just irritating to me. "Eloise in Moscow" is not a good book nor a fun read, but it does have the curiosity factor of making it abundantly clear that Thompson was miserable the entire trip. The scrap book section was pretty weak, but I appreciated the explanation of why Eloise ended up in Moscow (hint: it was not Thompson's idea). Recommended only for ardent Eloise fans and completists. All others would probably be better off reading Eloise

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on Saturday - it's all four Eloise books in one. I'd heard about these 1950s children's books before, especially since getting a subscription to Vanity Fair, which seems to talk reverentially about the Plaza Hotel in every other issue, but I didn't know what they were about. They're brilliantly illustrated tales of a precocious six-year-old poor little rich girl, whose absentee mother leaves her to run amok in New York, Paris and Moscow's most exclusive hotels with only her British nanny to loosely supervise her. I'm sure it's every 10-year-old little girl's dream come true. Reading this as an adult, I still found some charm in the stories, though "Eloise in Moscow" is a pretty paranoid 60s take on the Soviet Union, but it would have been nice to have a little bit more plot, and Eloise does get a bit too much at times. Still, a fun way to spend a Saturday morning in bed.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eloise reminds me of a younger "Auntie Mame." She's precocious, imaginative, a total nuisance, but you can't help but like and admire her. Her life is fascinating - living in the Plaza with Nanny, and her pug, Weenie, along with her turtle Skipperdee. There is no mention of a father, and her mother is perpetually absent, so she becomes friends with the hotel staff. She is home-schooled, or hotel-schooled, and she is never bored for Lord's sake!



I really enjoyed reading about how Eloise came into existence, and about Kay Thompson's life (I had no idea she was a vocal coach for MGM) and I found the information on Hilary Knight (the illustrator) interesting as well (he's a man, not a woman).

This is a great edition to have for any Eloise fan.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eloise is a trip--you've gotta read these out loud, the language just effervesces. There's not really a plot per se, but the whole point is just to take you into the imaginative and impish world of a precocious child: "Then I do my champagne exercises," "we could see these reindeers zimbering through the trees in Central Park." Just joyful to read.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read about one of Hollywood's great monsters, the massively talented but deeply flawed Kay Thompson. The writing, alas, descended into socko-boffo fan-magazine speak all too often. A biography as good as this one doesn't need that kind of silliness.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Nanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this very much. I did. But, I couldn't.

I think Eloise the animated series was on TV when I was younger (maybe those couple of made-for-TV films too) and oh, the theme song is still catchy till this day. But, just as those pieces of media failed to capture my attention back then, the same applied for this book.

My first impression was: It's gorgeous! The illustrations coupled with the freedom of movement and creativity make this one of the most enchanting books ever! At the same time, that's the fall of this series: Like most everything that pleases the eyes, it's much harder to stick the landing with the stories, connection, relatability and inspiration. I didn't find any of that within this collection of four books. Thus, I saw the validity of the more critical comments regarding the characterisation and storylines of the main protagonist.

I still have to give it to Eloise though. Our poor little rich girl, she is so neglected. She has most everything at her disposal. But not her mother, or father, or even the closest guardian around her, her nanny, is present, is being there with her.
Then, I put myself in her shoes, I can imagine all of the fun she must have running around and making all those shenanigans in one of the grandest places in the US. That's the beauty of childhood and the charm of her curiosity, inquisitiveness, activeness with a touch of privilege and being spoiled. None of these, however, translate to an interesting reading experience for me. Some might even say, it's out of touch in this day and age. At 6 years old, if I had no friends to hang out with, or anything I wished to pursue (which could be drawing, playing by myself, making up stories all around myself, etc.), I'd read! Even if I didn't have as many books as I do now, reading has always been fun! Why didn't she read? Or anyone read anything to her?

Back with the book, I think it helped tremendously with the information written about Kay Thompson (and her amazing accomplishments) and Hilary Knight (and his back story and history that led him to draw up this iconic character and imageries). There was also some insights into why Eloise was such a hit back in the 1950s, especially with girls who were in awe of her lifestyle, rule-breaker attitude, and the contradictory of her appearance and personality. I can see all that PLUS how Eloise served as an aspiration too. How time flies and how things change.

This book is still beautiful. The illustration is still magnificent. I'm thankful I chanced upon it and will definitely keep it. Worth calling it "ultimate edition", especially if one is an Eloise fan.

[Elizabeth Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a copy of Eloise in Paris in our house when I was growing up, and I read it so many times the images are burned into my brain (in the best way.) And I remember reading Eloise in Moscow when I was in the 3rd grade, and laughing so hard my sides hurt.

So when I had a whim to read some Eloise this week, and found out the library down the street had a copy of the Ultimate Eloise available no hold necessary it's right THERE, I jumped on it. And I'm so glad I did.

Eloise in Paris was just as delightfully weird and pretty and DETAILED as I remembered. The first Eloise book, our introduction to the charming and infuriating main character, was all kinds of fun. The Christmas Eloise (which I'd never even heard of) is going on my list of required holiday reading.)

But Eloise in Moscow was surprising. It's even more mind-boggling detailed than I remembered (yes the spy who follows them throughout, but also the two snow shoveling ladies, what's up with them?) And it's certainly funny in places. But it's also poignant, a look at 1950s Russia, with the decadence and poverty and day-by-day existence all crammed together in insanely detailed black and white and yellow. The tongue-in-cheek commentary of a six year old's view of CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE is definitely from Thompson and Knight's first-hand experience on their trip.

But it's still funny, and charming, and delightful.

I'm glad the library had it, but now I think I need to get my own copy. It'd definitely be worth it.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irrepressible, delightful, curious and mischievous, Eloise is a six-year-old bouncing ball of energy.t here’s not a mean bone in her body and a decided sweetness underneath her capering. We follow her relentless careening path all through the Plaza Hotel in New York City, her tour of France and sightseeing in Moscow.

In the latter country, she’s a tad more subdued in her wanderings. This may have something to do with the atmosphere. The air is bitingly chill and, in Mr. Knight’s kinetic drawings, there is a bespectacled man in a long black coat and black hat shadowing them. Sobering indeed, but it makes a diverting game to spot him in all the Moscow adventure pictures.

Created in 1955, this rambunctious child retains a timeless pert freshness. You feel that modern little girls will find her as funny, charming and lively now as they did when Kay Thompson first penned her daily adventures. Charge on, Eloise.

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sadly, I never read the Eloise stories when they first came out (circa 1955); I guess my parents were unaware of them. This complete collection contains all four Eloise books, plus a scrapbook on the origins of Eloise, the author Kay Thompson and the illustrator Hilary Knight. (It's out of print, but I got it on Ebay, then bought another copy for my great-niece, who will be five in May.) Eloise lives with her Nanny at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, along with her dog Weenie and her turtle Skipperdee. (We are never told where her mother is, although Eloise does get the occasional cable or phone call from her.) Her adventures are charming, as are the amazing drawings by Mr. Knight. They say it's never too late to fall in love; now I love Eloise!

[Katsuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Eloise--how could this wonderful complete collection earn anything less than top marks? Eloise is my all-time favorite children's book character, and finally getting to read all her stories collected was a treat. She's mischiveous, energetic, funny, Confident, unique and 100% Eloise. The illustrations are absolutely vital, too--it's always a good sign when a picture book wouldn't quite work without the images.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children's books I never read as a child. The first one in the series was the best, tho I liked her visit to Paris, too. The illustrations really make these books; the stories/writing are almost impossible to read and sometimes descend into gobbledygook. Still a surreal, somewhat fun experience for someone who's never taken the ride. Eloise was a character, for sure!

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd never read Eloise before. I found this a mixed bag, mostly bad. Eloise and Eloise in Paris were kind awful, Eloise Christmas was not awful but not great. The Eloise Scrapbook was pretty good - mostly it was about the author who was a pretty interesting person. And then Eloise in Moscow was kind of a standout. So as a classic series, I'm glad I read this, but it certainly wasn't all that good.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been an Eloise fan, so I had to get this book! All four stories include fun illustrations that match Eloise’s spunky personality. I like that this also included an informative section on the author and illustrator, as I had never read/heard anything about them.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, last book was less interesting

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eloise is perhaps the most endearing, charming brat I've ever read. She's quite the nuisance, but I love her spunk and the way Kay Thompson communicated a six year old's imagination.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book is wonderful and hilarious. My daughter was giggling so much. It was also fun to read aloud. The subsequent books are not nearly as good.

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical!

[MC]

Read for the Rory Gilmore reading challenge.

[Cat Lady Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eloise ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eloise in Paris ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(maybe because these are the two I read as a child)
Eloise at Christmastime ⭐⭐⭐
Eloise in Moscow ⭐⭐⭐

[laragrace]

i read every eloise and loved them too ! i cba to add each individual book so im adding the set for ease

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wonderfully read by Bernadette Peters on audiobook and the characters really came alive with her reading. It was a quick 4-hour listen.

[Gigi Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

The precocious, rawther pseudo-sophisticated Eloise was the brain-child of Kay Thompson. There are four books in this Ultimate Edition. Each story contains the amusing, childish antics of six-year-old Eloise.

Eloise lives at the Plaza Hotel stomping and sneaking throughout, creating her own brand of mischief with her daring high jinks and fantastic imagination. Her English, live-in Nanny is her only connection to the warm love that she misses from her own absentee mother. She finds herself preoccupying her loneliness with her best friends, Weenie the pug and Skipperdee the turtle. Each book is a vibrant, fun-filled, touching story of Eloise and her adventures. From New York, to Paris, to Moscow, she travels from one place to another when her mother calls for her company.

The most compelling book was Eloise in Moscow. For current readers, I believe there will be a bit of a disconnect. But when the book was originally published in 1959, Eloise in Moscow was a brow lifting, gasp-worthy story. In order to fully appreciate Thompson's story, it is necessary for the reader to do a little historical analysis on post World War II America. The 1950's was a suspicious, communist fearing, Cold-War era. Kay Thompson brought a humorous and glaring insight into the bias of a nation that was still understandably apprehensive and skeptical. Eloise brought her own childish brand of confusion and misapprehension. It was an exquisite display of the author's ability to address a serious issue, and at the same time, laugh at everyone in general.

After all, what's the point of humor if you can't laugh at yourself first?

At the heart of it all, I can't help but feel a sense of pity for the over-indulged child. Eloise never complains. She craves acceptance and attention, often finding herself in troublesome situations at her own well-meaning naughtiness. She waits in anticipation for the next time she will see her ultra rich, extremely busy mother. Eloise is brash and adorable, creating artful worlds and adventures at the horror of countless hotel guests and staff.

Find complete review here:
Bookend Chronicles

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Eloise herself might say, she is "rawther unusual," and I can't believe it took me this long to read all four of her adventures. The drawings couldn't be more delightfully subversive, in their way, and the six-year-old-going-on-twenty-six's freeform way of describing her life in the hotel (or her Christmas adventure or trips to Paris and Moscow, since those books are also included in this anthology of all four books) very often make you laugh out loud. The humor is wry but fresh, and the absolute naughtiness of this little gal can't help but make you a fan right off the bat. The little Christmas yarn isn't as funny as the other three, since it's largely written in rhyme, and I prefer the free, random meandering voice of the others; but all four are worth reading, if you've never encountered Eloise before!

[Jennie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a fan of Eloise. Neither is Aaron. Or Laurel, for that matter. We bought this book on the recommendation of a friend. Eloise, in my ever so humble opinion, is a snotty little neglected child who lives in a hotel in NYC. Her nanny smokes cigarettes - that was a fun one to explain. She's mischievous but not in a cute way. More obnoxious to me. There's no point to the stories other than "hi, I'm self-absorbed and you should be endlessly fascinated by me" - not really what kids need to hear. I'm not so much into "moral in every story" but this one goes totally in the opposite direction.
There are better books out there. Madeleine and Belinda the Ballerina and Priscilla are more my speed.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother first read the Eloise books to me as a little girl - After that first time, I don't think I let her read me anything else. I still read them, even at 23! Eloise is pretty bratty, sure, but she inspired in me independence, a passion for imagination and the belief that girls can do anything. They spoke to both my tomboy nature and my girly side, and made me realize I didn't have to be one way or the other. I could like fishing, getting dirty and dressing up for parties all at the same time.