Eloise in Hollywood

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 23 OCT 2006

If your mother is even one-half worth her salt then sooner or later she's bound to make the acquaintance of a famous Hollywood Movie Mogul who will insist you simply must must must drop in for a visit." And that's how Eloise, Nanny, Weenie and Skipperdee land in glittering Hollywood in this rollicking if overlong caper penned by screenwriters Stem and Weiss, who competently mimic the distinctive voice created by Kay Thompson. Choosing the mode of transport favored by "many famous studio types," Eloise and her traveling companions board a train for Los Angeles, where the Mogul's chauffeur gives them a tour of the town's hot spots before delivering them to the pleasingly pink Hollywood Hills Hotel. Not surprisingly, the aspiring young actress manages to steal the show as she eventually (in the book's last third) gets her (brief) moment in the spotlight in a movie starring a "boy genius who solves crimes for the President." Enik's (Love and Kisses, Eloise) flourishes-filled, animated pen-and-ink illustrations feature pink and turquoise watercolor washes, and pay homage to Knight's Eloise art. A bustling, full-color gatefold reveals Eloise joyfully romping through a studio back lot. The text and pictures have a more contemporary feel than those in the original tales, but the creators have mostly kept the essentials intact, and that's rawther good news. All ages.