Eloise at Christmastime.

THOMPSON, Kay; Illustrated by Hilary Knight.

Item Number: 5105

New York: Random House, 1958.

First edition. Thin quarto, glossy boards. Signed twice by Kay Thompson, once on the front free endpaper and again on the half title page, “This with fun fun fun Me Eloise and Kay Thompson.” Additionally signed by the illustrator Hilary Knight. Near fine in a near fine price-clipped dust jacket with the lightest of wear. In our experience, Eloise at Christmastime is the most difficult to find signed by Kay Thompson.

Eloise has always had a rather festive air about her, but when Christmastime rolls around, well, it's "Fa la la la fa la la la lolly ting tingledy here and there," of course. The bunchy-bloused, spindly-legged scamp is speaking in rhyme this time, and in typical Eloise fashion, the verse simply can't be perfectly metered, for what would be the point? She rushes around New York's Plaza Hotel on Christmas Eve, jingling, spreading Christmas cheer, tying tassels on the thermostats, and writing "Merry Christmas" on all the walls. And of course there are gifts to be delivered and wrapped. Hilary Knight's pink-and-black illustrations are perfect--particularly of the "sugar plums" dancing in Eloise's head on Christmas Eve, complete with crazed elves, Nanny-as-angel, reindeer with glasses, and of course Santa's sleigh with one giant package in it... for Eloise. Made into the 2003 film starring Julie Andrews as Nanny and Sofia Vassilieva, as Eloise.