Parents' Guide to

Eloise in Paris

By Jennifer Gennari, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Eloise's enthusiasm for Paris is delightful.

Book Kay Thompson Picture Book 1958
Eloise in Paris Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Movies3
Movies3 Parent of 2-year-old
August 18, 2019
age 18+

Inappropriate content

This book was disastrously loaded with so much adult content (“champagne challenge, ordering Johnny Walker Black, etc) that I really don’t think it’s appropriate for a minor of any age. The whole book honestly sounds like the drunken ramblings of someone via a child’s character and was so inappropriate I stopped reading after a page or two and just flipped through the pages
HEH2009
HEH2009 Adult
October 3, 2015
age 4+

So Disappointed

Why does a child this young know what Johnny Walker Black is, and why is she ordering it from room service? I guess it's for the same reason she exercises with bottles of champagne. We're not prudes, but I didn't think I was going to have to explain to my preschoolers what it means to, "smoke three packs a day." I realize this was written in a different generation, when it was acceptable to smoke in public and around children, but the idea of a child ordering alcohol via room service is unsettling, regardless of the year in which it was written.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

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.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

"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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Eloise's escapades in Paris. Would you want to explore some of the places she visits? Is it fun to try to pronounce the French words?

Book Details

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