Eloise is the name of a wonderful childrens' (and adults!) book by
Kay Thompson, illustrated by
Hilary Knight. It is the tale of a rather lonely six-year-old girl growing up in sterile splendor in the
penthouse suite of the
Plaza Hotel in
New York City. With her only human contact the hotel staff and a fairly boring Nanny who repeats words, Eloise is bent on achieving
amusement and
mayhem, and succeeds. She, along with her two dolls, her turtle Skipperdee (whom she walks on a leash) and her
pug Weenie cause
ruckus and riot in a series of screamingly funny vignettes.
Some folk believe that this tale is based on the childhood of Liza Minelli. One thing is certain - whether pouring water down the mail chute or taking long trips on the elevators, Eloise manages to represent the side of all of us that we seem to get to exercise far too infrequently. I recommend this book highly for anyone raising children, including inner child rearers.
Oh, and a trivia point: In the lobby of the real Plaza Hotel is an enormous portrait of Eloise and her pets.