
The other night a friend who was recuperating from an injury asked us to tell him a story as he fell asleep. A story, we wondered, h-mm-mm. Why not read a kid’s book for this exhausted, wounded grown-up. Looking through our library, an ancient copy of Kay Thompson’s Eloise jumped into our hands. As we read it aloud, we marveled at the precocious little girl on the loose in the great hotel. We’d totally forgotten the story: a self-possessed kid surviving in the face of a wealthy mom who wasn’t there, and a nanny who was. Eloise used her unfettered imagination to act out, fabulously.
Eloise does have a way of making things look brighter –and the way she wears those pink bloomers and mary janes– how couldn’t life be better?
I didn’t read Eloise as a child, but my daughters absolutely adore her –I am glad to get to enjoy her with them.
Can we give a shout out to Hilary Knight who illustrated not only Eloise but the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series, the I Hate to Cook Books and dozens of others. I am partial to the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books, myself.
The AMAZING Hilary Knight. We’re going to check out those Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books…
Eloise was always one of my mother’s favorites; thank you for the beautiful reminder of both of them!