Eloise's Christmas Trinkles

Eloise, the erstwhile six-year-old with a mind for poetry and mischief, is at it again in ELOISE'S CHRISTMAS TRINKLES, in which she takes the reader for a tour-de-force trip throughout the Christmas season at the Plaza. Racing from floor to floor and room to room, Eloise brings her loud and brassy childish cheer to its many inhabitants --- the caterers, the maids, the administrative staff and, of course, her beloved Nanny and her traveling-the-world mother, as well as Skipperdee the turtle and Weenie the dog. In the spirit of her hilarious outbursts, it can be said that Christmas truly is a magical time if you make it that way. More than the peppy poetry of Eloise's literary rambles, the charm of the nutty little girl in the black skirt and kneesocks comes from the marvelous pictures by the still-prolific Hilary Knight. The details that give it a "zippity jingle and dash away ping" are perfection: in pink, black, white and red, she is able to elicit all sorts of emotional responses to the pictures. And for those who had the pleasure in real life of seeing the Plaza in all its MGM-musical, old Manhattan decor, each line of every drawing is like a wonderful photograph that you find in a long-forgotten book that brings back a flood of wistful memories. ELOISE'S CHRISTMAS TRINKLES is a cute and darling little volume that elicits your most delicious childhood memories of so many such seasons that have come before. And, of course, the verbiage is colorful and melodic, rendering the late Kay Thompson's voice in the guise of the unforgettable Eloise. These days, when life seems particularly hard for everyone, it is a relief to know that some artists are able to bound us past the pain and into the most traditional and emotional parts of the Christmas holiday. This is a perfect stocking stuffer of a book for new and old Eloise fans alike. Have a jingle holiday with Eloise! --- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano