The story follows Eloise on her adventures in Russia during the Cold War. It definitely shows the cultural differences and how awkward it was to be an American in Russia.

As active as this story was, I really couldn't get into it. Thompson tends to switch tenses a lot and, even then, the writing seems a bit on the dull side. I can appreciate that she added Russian dialogue and it's cute that Eloise can talk to them. She's writing from a child's perspective and this does show through in the book. Eloise is witty and charming, though the text is pretty small. I'm not sure how long this would hold a child's attention besides the intricate illustrations. ( )

Rawther surreal. The part that made the most sense was the pigeons doing ballet. ( )

Eloise travels to Moscow with her nanny and Weenie and describes ever tiny detail that she can in one breath. Eloise is the prime example of a little girl who talks too much. The style of the text is written exactly how a child would speak, so it may be easier to read to a group of children rather than they do it themselves. ( )

After enjoying the first Eloise book, and then finding the subsequent two rather ho-hum - it's not that there was anything wrong with either Eloise in Paris or Eloise at Christmastime, but their eponymous young heroine's frenetic activity palls a bit, after one's initial exposure - I found this fourth installment of the series quite engaging. Eloise goes to Moscow at the height of the Cold War - published in 1959, Eloise in Moscow is a product Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's own unusual trip to Moscow - and the results are fascinating! Staying at The National Hotel - it's no Plaza, but it has its charms - touring the Kremlin with their guide, Zhenka, and taking a brief trip to the countryside to enjoy some winter sports, Eloise and Nanny enjoy their Russian sojourn, although they are always conscious of the many eyes upon them...

I'm not sure that Eloise in Moscow will have quite the same appeal for young readers that it had for me, as quite a bit of my enjoyment here stemmed from the contrast between Eloise's exuberant joie de vivre, and the solid un-smiling Russian atmosphere surrounding her, as well as the insights offered into Cold War politics. I have seen this book described as "paranoid," but given the realities of life in the Soviet Union during this period, and the distrust between the USSR and the USA, I would be very surprised if the portrait offered here of being very much in a fishbowl, and constantly under surveillance, weren't fairly accurate. Certainly, it offers a realistic depiction of an American's view of Russia at this time. Looking back on it now, I find some of it sad, and quite a bit of it amusing. The artwork, in particular, kept me entertained, with a spy following Eloise and Nanny wherever they go - Eloise certainly kept him busy! - and even "ordinary citizens" (or are they?) keeping an eye on them. Recommended to Eloise fans, of course, but also to readers interested in the depiction of the Cold War in children's books. ( )

Russian social history. Republished in 2000. ( )