Written by: Kay Thompson

Illustrated by: Hilary Knight

I had never read Eloise before, and I am so glad I finally did! Good Housekeeping included it on its list of the top 50 children’s books of all time, and after reading it, I can definitely see why.

Eloise absolutely cracked me up. Her personality is hilarious, and she reminded me so much of my granddaughter, which made me love her even more. Eloise describes her life at the Plaza Hotel, and boy, is it a life! It’s full of nannies, dogs, elevators, adventures, and plenty of mischief.

The illustrations are so much fun, too. They’re mostly black and white, with pops of pink and red throughout, and they fit Eloise’s larger-than-life personality perfectly.

I can see why this book has become such a timeless and beloved classic. It was originally published in 1955 as Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown-Ups and was later republished simply as Eloise.

It is a bit on the long side for a picture book, so I think it would probably be best read aloud to older children who can settle in and enjoy all of Eloise’s antics. But what a blast it was to read! I’m very glad I finally got to meet Eloise.