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Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins #1)

by P.L. Travers, Mary Shepard (Illustrations)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 35,877 ratings · 904 reviews

From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. This classic series tells the story of the world's most beloved nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement with her everywhere she goes. Featuring the charming original cover art by Mary Shepard, these new editions are sure to delight readers of...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published June 1st 2006 by Harcourt Children's Books (first published 1934)

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Mar 28, 2013 Manny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, well-i-think-its-funny, celebrity-death-match, pooh-dante

For the Celebrity Death Match Review Tournament, Pride and Prejudice (1) versus Mary Poppins (32)

NARRATOR: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an impecunious father with four unmarried daughters is in urgent need of a magic nanny. And so it came to pass that Miss Mary Poppins took up residence in the Bennet household...

Scene 1

[Breakfast at the Bennets. The four sisters are laughing, talking loudly, reaching after toast etc]

MARY POPPINS: Lydia, don't slouch! Slouching is generally regar...more

32 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Paul marked it as assorted-rants-about-stuff

Winnie the Pooh is wandering around outside the beautiful church of St Martin-in-the-Fields disconsolately. He appears slightly lost. Just a few yards away, perched on the low wall which surrounds Trafalgar Square, a smartly dressed woman is singing sweetly :

Feed the bear, tuppence a bag
Tuppence... tuppence... tuppence a bag

Two small children wander up to her.

"Please Miss, we want to feed the bear"

She smiles at the little girl. "Very well, she says. She takes their tuppence and gives them a sma...more

11 likes · like · see review

Oct 12, 2007 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: enjoy being mean to children

Shelves: favorites, magicmakers, mycuppa

OK, here's the thing: P.L. Travers's Mary Poppins is not Walt Disney's Mary Poppins. Weirdly, I love both versions equally, although Travers's portrayal of adult-child relationships is more accurate, I think. In the book, the kids clearly inhabit a fantasy world of which their parents are completely oblivious. Mary Poppins, an acid-tongued nanny, serves as a conduit to these fantasy worlds, which are often quite dangerous. Under Mary's protection, the Banks children explore some dark, glorious w...more

20 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2007 Lp rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK, I know it's not unusual for Disney to eviscerate classics, but I was really surprised when I finally read this book to my children how little it resembled the Disney movie (which I liked!).

I adore this book. Mary is vain and crabby and a bit of a mystic, and bizarre things happen when she is around. But it's really about the ephemeral magic of childhood. I laughed out loud and wept openly when I read this to my kids. It is a wonderful book. I wish I'd read it earlier.

15 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2011 Bridget rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 501-must-read-books

So I decided this weekend to read every book in my "501 Must-Read Books" book. I'd read 22 books (that I could remember) before starting and this was the first book from the list that I hadn't read prior to making the decision...and what a WEIRD book!

I can only give it two stars because I spent the vast majority of the book thinking/saying to myself - STRANGE. This book is just strange. Mary Poppins is the most unlikeable character and yet Jane and Michael adore her. It is somewhat unclear WHY...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Ayu Palar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-books, favorites-ever

I understand why so many children and even adults fall in love with Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins is a cranky nurse, yet she has a golden heart and brings wonder to every kid in the world. What makes Mary cute is the fact that she doesn’t want to show off her kindness. All chapters in Mary Poppins are simply fun, and reading them gives me this innocent amazement. Seeing what Mary does, I was in awe like Jane and Michael Banks are. One chapter that I found very moving is the chapter about the twins...more

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Sep 02, 2007 Nightfalltwen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-9-12

Delayed review:

I think what I like most about this book is it is neat to see how differently we view things now than, say, when the story was first published in 1934. Of course it's not going to be the same as the Disney movie because there are just some things and subject matters that don't exactly come out well on film and it's unfortunate that Walt Disney insisted on changing so much of Traver's work (as well as adding in nonsensical animation that had little to do with the original story) so...more

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Jul 02, 2007 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fun, fantasy, kiddies, classics, reread

I LOVED reading this book in elementary school. I seem to remember checking it out ALL THE TIME (whether I really did or not, I'm not sure. I could just be misremembering). The one I checked out (I always checked out the same copy) was a worn yellow hardback without a dustjacket (then again, in school libraries [especially elementary libraries], aren't they all without jackets?). I remember going to the library during recess just to check out this book.

After not reading this book for perhaps a...more

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Apr 16, 2009 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007, children-s-literature

I loved this book. Fast and easy. Each chapter is a new adventure. Great childrens book.

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Mar 11, 2013 Bev Hankins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british, childrens, classic-lit, fiction, mount-tbr-2013

I picked up Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers a couple of years ago from a stack of free books here in the halls of the English Department. I was well-versed in the Disney film version starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (having a small person who was fascinated with all things Disney when he was growing up helped fill in whatever Disney films I'd managed to miss when I was growing up)--but had never read the book. Stumbling across the 2013 Book to Movie Challenge sponsored by Katie over at Doi...more I picked up Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers a couple of years ago from a stack of free books here in the halls of the English Department. I was well-versed in the Disney film version starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (having a small person who was fascinated with all things Disney when he was growing up helped fill in whatever Disney films I'd managed to miss when I was growing up)--but had never read the book. Stumbling across the 2013 Book to Movie Challenge sponsored by Katie over at Doing Dewey gave me the extra shove necessary to put Mary on my 2013 TBR list. Now to see what I think of the book and how it compares to Disney's version (which I have also re-watched this year)....as a bonus, I'll also briefly mention my experience seeing the staged version on Broadway in 2009.

The basic story in all three is pretty much the same. The Banks children have a way of running through nannies. They just don't seem to get along with any of them. That is until Mary Poppins arrives on the scene. She manages to tame the children and show them just how magical their lives can be. The children learn to love her and don't want her to leave...but she only promised to stay until the wind change.

Mary Poppins, the book, is a bit darker in tone than the Disney version. While still very magical, Travers' nanny far less cheery than the one brought to life by Julie Andrews. Mary Poppins is sharp-tongued and vain--always peering at herself in shop windows and any available reflecting object. She still serves as a gatekeeper for the fantasies of childhood--talking animals, odd old ladies who serve up candy lady fingers (no, not cookies--real lady fingers made out of candy) and gingerbread, and tea parties on the ceiling, for example--but the fantasies are far more tinged with the harsh realities of life than the Disney film. The film does produce a bit of medicine to go with the sugar: there's the grimy woman who says "Granny will hide you" when the children run from the bank. Children may not get the overtones in that scene, but obviously Jane and Michael do NOT want to go with "Granny" in turn of the century London. And, of course, the moral of the story--that Mr. Banks is ignoring his children and should be spending time with them--is driven home.

The film nanny is obviously fond of the Banks children, even if she does insist that she couldn't possibly get attached to all the children she has cared for--after all, what would become of her if she did? In the book, it is much more difficult to discern any affection for the children and, quite honestly, she's often mean. Her appeal in the book is much more attached to her ability to provide magical adventures for the children and to represent the magic of childhood.

It has been reported in many places that P. L. Travers was very upset with Disney's adaptation of her novel. She particularly took exception to the use of animation. I find that rather astounding. Here is a woman who has incorporated the most unlikely scenes into her novels. She pens adventures that require talking animals; animals who behave like humans--from animals in charge of a human zoo to animals hosting a birthday party for Mary Poppins to having a cow dancing across the countryside and jumping over the moon--and she somehow believed Disney (one of pioneers in animation) was going to do the film as strictly live action? Seriously? I'm not sure how she thought he was going to pull that off successfully in the 1960s.

This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Abzi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

Throughout my childhood I have sat and watched Mary Poppins. The well loved movie with Julie Andrews portraying Mary Poppins, the firm but likeable nanny and Dick Van Dyke cast as Bert with his wonderful attempt at an English accent.
I know the songs by heart and have known for a while that the film is based on a book. I was able to pick it up this week from my local library.
I immediately liked the narrative voice, comments such as 'if you are looking for Number Seventeen - and it is more than l...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Joey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jan-2013

The Banks children are in for an adventure-or many adventures- with Mary Poppins! Of course, on every second Thursday from one to six. Jane, Michael and the twins discover a whole new world with Mary Poppins and her friends, such as Mrs. Corry, Miss Fannie and Miss Annie, who put real stars in their cookies, Uncle Albert, who flies up in the air when he laughs (which is quite often), and all the animals in the zoo!

I picked up this book because Mary Poppins had a familiar feel to it, so I had an...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Carolyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-aloud-books-kid

Mary Poppins is not nice. Forget what you know of Julie Andrews’s Mary Poppins from the Disney film. The original one, as P.L. Travers penned her, is unsmiling, unyielding and prone to sniffing when she disapproves of something. And she disapproves of quite a lot–her charges–the four Banks children–and also the various magical folk who people her world. I think that’s what makes Mary Poppins so endearing. No one is spared her superior judgment, except, perhaps, herself. She is only human. Or is...more Mary Poppins is not nice. Forget what you know of Julie Andrews’s Mary Poppins from the Disney film. The original one, as P.L. Travers penned her, is unsmiling, unyielding and prone to sniffing when she disapproves of something. And she disapproves of quite a lot–her charges–the four Banks children–and also the various magical folk who people her world. I think that’s what makes Mary Poppins so endearing. No one is spared her superior judgment, except, perhaps, herself. She is only human. Or is she?

What makes Mary Poppins a superior book to read aloud to your children?

1. It presents a magical world that intersects our own without wizards, wands or dark lords who must not be named. I love the Harry Potter series–we’re also reading that out loud–but it’s nice to have a kinder, gentler option for the younger and/or more sensitive reader. There are no villains and nothing really scary. Creepy, yes (how would you like to suck on the broken-off finger of an old woman, even if it does taste like a sweet?) but scary, no.

2. The book exalts and inspires the imagination. Jane and Michael Banks certainly wonder about the strange things that Mary Poppins does and the unusual people they meet through her, but–as children do–they accept the magic in the world quite readily.

3. The characters are well-drawn, which is to say they are flawed. Michael has a humdinger of a bad day. The parents are distant. Mary Poppins herself is exceedingly vain. Here’s an example, from when she looks at her reflection in a shop window:

Mary Poppins sighed with pleasure, however, when she saw three of herself, each wearing a blue coat with silver buttons and a blue hat to match. She thought it was such a lovely sight that she wished there had been a dozen of her or even thirty. The more Mary Poppins the better.

4. The prose is direct, no-nonsense and precise, just like Mary Poppins herself.

P.L. Travers wrote several Mary Poppins books, so if you like the first one, there’s plenty more to explore. The more Mary Poppins the better.(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Jen added it

Shelves: classics, fantasy, ya

If you're not familiar, it's just the first book in a series, so I was expecting significant changes to make it a one-off movie. I bought this in part because it was on the Kindle Daily Deal (and was inexpensive) but partly because I'm intrigued about the book.
And now I really want to rewatch the movie.
In short, Mary Poppins comes off as a kind of mean woman, and the book was set up where each chapter contained a different tiny story. For example: there was the tiny story of when she arrived and...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, childrens

First of all, if you are thinking of the movie, you simply will not recognize the original Mary Poppins. This is no sweet and kind Julie Andrews accompanied by a cadre of lovable sidekicks. This is a stern, uncompromising, and vain woman who keeps Michael and Jane on a short leash. And - naturally - she has depths that the cinematic Mary Poppins cannot touch (that's a reflection not on Julie Andrews but on the material she had to work with).

The book is almost a collection of episodes rather than...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kathleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books

This is one of the rare cases where I find that I liked the movie so much better than the book. Perhaps if the book had been a childhood favourite I would feel differently, but as it is I was rather disappointed. The story does have moments of pure creativity, and there were moments I was surprised that they did not use in the movie, specifically the chapter about the gingerbread. While the movie certainly challenges reality it is charming and believable in the fantasy that is created.

*ATTENTION...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic

I always loved the Walt Disney version of this book but had never read it. In fact, I didn’t know it was a book but I enjoyed it so much. I loved the fact that the movie stayed so close to the book. This is the story of Jane and Michael Banks and their journey with their new nanny Mary Poppins. The Banks children haven't had too much luck with past nannies, or should I say past nannies haven't had luck with the Banks children. But one day a wind blows in Mary Poppins, just as their former nanny...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Regan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: classics-book-group, childrens-lit

Everyone knows Mary Poppins from the movie where she sings Supercalifragilistic and dances with Dick Van Dyke, but this isn’t quite the same Mary Poppins as the original. Like so many Disney movies there are shocking liberties with both the story and the characters (Pocahontas Barbie, anyone?) When you finally get around to reading the book, you won’t be quite sure if you like this Mary Poppins better because she isn’t quite so saccharine or not as much, because frankly she’s a little mean. Prac...more Everyone knows Mary Poppins from the movie where she sings Supercalifragilistic and dances with Dick Van Dyke, but this isn’t quite the same Mary Poppins as the original. Like so many Disney movies there are shocking liberties with both the story and the characters (Pocahontas Barbie, anyone?) When you finally get around to reading the book, you won’t be quite sure if you like this Mary Poppins better because she isn’t quite so saccharine or not as much, because frankly she’s a little mean. Practically perfect, my foot. She stares endlessly into shop windows just to see her own reflection, her new boots, her new gloves or new hat. Not once does she compliment either Michael or Jane, or show them any affection. Her appeal is the magical adventures she brings to their lives.

Mary Poppins first found her way into print in a P.L. Travers short story called “Mary Poppins and the Matchman” published in a New Zealand newspaper. This story later became the episode in the book of Mary Poppins’ day out with Bert, part-time match seller and part-time street sketch artist.

Most of Mary Poppins has its roots in short stories and rather than being a true novel, it’s a series of adventures or short stories bookended by chapters of Mary Poppins’ arrival and departure. In addition to dropping into a painting for tea and a day at the races with Bert, she takes Jane and Michael to tea on the ceiling at her uncle’s, on a trip around the world via a magical compass Michael finds in the park, celebrates her birthday with the animals at the zoo, and introduces them to one of the Pleiades while they do their Christmas shopping.

None of the characters are especially developed, even by children’s literature standards. However, the adventures are unusual and charming and will keep the attention of both adults and young children. For me, “Laughing Gas” will always be a favorite -- who would have thought to have afternoon tea while floating on the ceiling? Even decades later (and after a hit movie) the stories don’t feel tired or rote: They buy gingerbread from a lady with candy fingers, who later steals back the gold doilies from the gingerbread to paste them in the sky as stars. And a cow gets a shooting star stuck in her horns which won’t let her stop dancing. She gets the star out by jumping over the moon -- and then decides she’ll go adventuring just so she might be in the right place to catch another star sometime. Rather than having a conclusion, many of the stories just make you wonder what happened to the people or animals that they meet afterwards.

Depending on the edition, the characters the children meet in “Bad Tuesday” will vary. In the early 1980s, P.L. Travers rewrote the chapter in which they travel around the world in response to criticisms of racist stereotypes of the people representing North, South, East and West: Chinese, Inuit, Africans, and First Nations people. The chapter drawings were also updated. In the adventure the children now meet a polar bear, a macaw, a panda and a dolphin. Some readers may want to seek out earlier editions for academic reasons, but the newer version is probably a better choice for everyday reading.

Although I don't imagine I'll re-read it anytime soon, it's definitely on my list for younger children!

For audiobook readers: Sophie Thompson’s narration is awful. Breathy and screechy with character voices completely at odds with descriptions given in the text. Sadly it’s the only option.(less)

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Mar 02, 2012 Claire Caterer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-kids-reads, fantastic-fantasy

Why am I so wild about Mary that I award her the coveted five out of five stars? It may be childhood sentimentality, I admit. My mother used to read Mary Poppins as well as Mary Poppins Comes Back aloud to us in the car on long vacations. Nothing could hold me as mesmerized. I so wanted a nanny who could serve tea on the ceiling or rescue me from the nasty characters inside a Royal Doulton bowl. I was devastated every time Mary left, even knowing she would come back. I loved her because she wasn...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Gerald Curtis rated it 2 of 5 stars

Mary Poppins

This was a fun and entertaining, but also disappointing book.

I wanted to read it when I found, in the biography of Walt Disney, that his studio fussed and fought with the author for over ten years before producing a final version of the movie – which is one of my all-time favorites. So I was anxious to compare the book to the movie and found it quite different. It was obvious what issues the author must have had, for the movie was probably 90 – 95% Disney invention instead of even pr...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Mary_stephens rated it 4 of 5 stars

My mother read this story to me a child, and being a long-time Disney whore and Julie Andrews fan I can, of course, recite the movie. So now I read it as an adult.
There is something loverly about British children's literature. There is a timber to it that warms the heart. I'm not quite sure what it is. And this story combines that with the wonder and joy of Mary. But she isn't really the Mary Poppins all us little American kids know and love, is she? Travers's Mary was much more Victorian than...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Juushika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: status-borrowed, genre-ya-or-childrens, genre-fantasy

When their nanny leaves without warning, Mary Poppins blows in on the East Wind to care for the four Banks children. Strange, contrary, and undoubtedly magical, Poppins brings adventure and changes their lives for the better. I have a fair bit of love for episodic storytelling, but in novels I still need the episodes to be tied together by an overarching plot; with only the most generous exceptions, Mary Poppins is not, and this is only my real complaint with the book. Each chapter is effectivel...more When their nanny leaves without warning, Mary Poppins blows in on the East Wind to care for the four Banks children. Strange, contrary, and undoubtedly magical, Poppins brings adventure and changes their lives for the better. I have a fair bit of love for episodic storytelling, but in novels I still need the episodes to be tied together by an overarching plot; with only the most generous exceptions, Mary Poppins is not, and this is only my real complaint with the book. Each chapter is effectively a short story detailing one of Poppins's magical adventures, and while there is a sense of cumulative progress as successive episodes reveal more about Poppins, and despite the fact that the book doesn't feel disjointed even if some chapters could be shuffled to no detriment, something's still lacking. Poppins is the book's point and purpose: she's chaotic, whimsical, unlikable, and truly fantastic; her effect on the world around her is captivating, and the readerlike the childrencomes fear and love her in equal measure. But there's no more pointor overarching plotthan that. Discovering Poppins is enough to sustain this book, and each chapter makes for an enjoyable short story, but I wouldn't want any more without a more substantial plot and I don't think this volume would stand up to rereads.

It is a fun little read, though. This Poppins is much more rewarding than her sugar-coated film version: rather than tainting her magic, her chaos and casual cruelty serves to make it more vivid and vast; she's also tempered by just enough humanity (and human faults) to feel real, and as well as wanting another peek at her magic, one begins to want a little peek into her mind. Travers's prose is a somewhat toned down from the twee, wry, humorous voice of this era of children's literature, but that works out fine: it retains character but ages well, and is easily readable today. And no matter the issue I take with such episodic storytelling, the enchanting short stories which fill this book are swift and compelling reads. Mary Poppins didn't quite sweep me off my feet, but it intrigued and delighted me, and it certainly made for a few hours of fun. I recommend it.(less)

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May 28, 2011 Joe Hunt rated it 5 of 5 stars

A ton of fun.

So, I've seen the movie like a hundred times.

(Three year old getting into it.)

I feel like it's the perfect movie--tightly written, funny...

So I had to read the book.

They're definitely a little different--

but every now and then, stuff word for word.

"Not another word, or I'll have to call a police-man."

Book a little more disjointed. A chapter here, doing this--then doing that.

Not a satisfying arc, like the movie.

It's interesting, how austere the Mary Poppins is.

In movie, we get that s...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Kate Winkler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being a fan of the Disney version of Mary Poppins, I was anxious to get another version of the story. Mary Poppins is a family favorite that the majority of people are familiar with. Mary Poppins is about a nanny who takes the Banks children on all kinds of magical adventures. After reading P.L Travers' version, it is obvious that the book differs from the Disney version.
The book contains episodes of their adventures, where the movie has an overall plot. Even though I am a huge fan of the Disne...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mary Poppins was a great book, who does not enjoy the story of Mary Poppins. I was mostly familiar with Disney movie but, getting a feeling for the book was great. It was great reading the book because although I have seen the movie dozens of times I got to make my own image of the different characters.I felt like i was a child again reading Mary Poppins. I think that this would be a great book to incorporate into a lesson plan with a middle level elementary class. This books is a classic, it is...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Becca Noelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was one of the best children's books that I have read in a long time. I have never seen the Disney movie or read the book, but I have seen the Broadway play in Chicago. I thought it was awesome and I loved the story, but I definitely liked the book a lot better.

I've noticed that the book is entirely different from the production that I saw. For some reason, the book seems so much more detailed and magical. In the book, you get a much different perspective on Mary Poppins than I observed in...more This was one of the best children's books that I have read in a long time. I have never seen the Disney movie or read the book, but I have seen the Broadway play in Chicago. I thought it was awesome and I loved the story, but I definitely liked the book a lot better.

I've noticed that the book is entirely different from the production that I saw. For some reason, the book seems so much more detailed and magical. In the book, you get a much different perspective on Mary Poppins than I observed in the play. It is such an adventure story. The children seem so mesmerized by Mary's magic and the text really supports that.

"Jane and Michael sat hugging themselves and watching. It was all so surprising that they had nothing to say. But they knew...something strange and wonderful had happened..." (14)

I remember the part in the play where Mary Poppins empties her carpet bag. They used an illusion and Mary brought out a number of obscure items, including a huge coat rack. It seemed like more of a joke, rather than a sense of magic.

The book, on the other hand, describes it so simply. It makes the scene more realistic and exciting. When Michael sees that the bag is empty, Mary simply says, "Nothing in it did you say?" She proceeds to take out everyday items that she would actually use. She does not make it seem like a big deal, rather that magic and whimsy are a part of her every day life.

The adventures Mary takes them on are often spur of the moment. The unexpected trip to the zoo and tea party on the ceiling reminded me a lot of the Alice in Wonderland book. It seems like Mary Poppins brings the children into their own fun and unique little world. Which is like Alice's experiences- outrageous and imaginative.

It reminds me of myself when I was little, running around doing something new everyday, always feeling excited to play with the help of my imagination. On page 182, when Mary tells Michael and Jane that its time to go home and "Jane pleads, five minutes longer!" I thought of my dad saying "Time for bed." I would hold up my five fingers and beg for 5 minutes longer of whatever that days adventure was.

One way I can relate this to the real world is to focus on Michael and Jane's relationship with their parents. I think the book makes it obvious that they are both living in completely different worlds, and that's common in the real world. I feel like a lot of time parents do not know whats going on with their children. I'm sure if Mr. and Mrs. Banks knew about everywhere their children had been, they wouldn't have been happy.

My favorite quote from the book was "There is something strange and extraordinary about her--something that was frightening but at the same time most exciting." (12) It just shows how awesome Mary seemed to the children. What was your favorite quote?
(less)

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May 30, 2010 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, junior-books

The saving grace of this book, for me, was that it was the basis of a wonderful musical by Disney. I didn't enjoy the book at all. I was surprised at that because, the majority of the time, the books are better than the movies.

The Mary Poppins in the book is vain, obnoxious, dishonest, and cross all the time. There wasn't any sweetness or enchantment in the character at all. In part of the story, the children are taken to a gingerbread shop where Mary Poppins is friends with the owner. The owner...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Rachelterry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvie

The children in Mary Poppins are wonderful. Jane and Michael are so sincere and genuine, and the little twins John and Barbara are fun. I love the chapter where the babies are talking to the sunshine and the wind, and they are warned that pretty soon they'll get their teeth and won't be able to talk to the sunshine anymore.

But Mary Poppins--you can keep her. Some people are just not cut out for the childcare industry. I simply couldn't understand why Michael was so upset when the west wind chang...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Sri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

Kalau biasanya di buku-buku anak-anak yang lain karakter yang aneh adalah anak-anak, di buku ini karakter anehnya adalah seorang nanny yang bernama Mary Poppins. Mary ini tampak luar bukanlah nanny idola anak-anak. Dia galak, tidak suka ditanya-tanya dan kalau sedang pergi jalan-jalan dia selalu mementingkan penampilannya dan keinginannya sendiri daripada keinginan anak-anak :D. Tapi Jane, Michael, John dan Barbara mengidolakan Mary karena Mary membawa hal-hal aneh di dalam kehidupan mereka. Mis...more

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Mar 09, 2010 Tamra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before seeing this book on the library shelves, I was unaware that it was a book at all. But of course it is. Of course.

I was unhappy to find out that the "real" Mary Poppins is less like Julie Andrews and more like, ... well, more like me. Mary Poppins says things like, "If you say one more word, you're walking home by yourself, and I don't CARE if we're in the middle of the city." I mean, is Julie Andrews even CAPABLE of saying that?

Mary Poppins is strict, cross, vain, magical, and doesn't lik...more

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Children's Books: October 2010 - Mary Poppins	56	89	Nov 15, 2011 09:41pm

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About P.L. Travers

Pamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian novelist, actress and journalist, popularly remembered for her series of children's novels about mystical nanny Mary Poppins.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause w...more Pamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian novelist, actress and journalist, popularly remembered for her series of children's novels about mystical nanny Mary Poppins.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause was sustained, heavy drinking".
Travers began to publish her poems while still a teenager and wrote for The Bulletin and Triad while also gaining a reputation as an actress. She toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company before leaving for England in 1924. There she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P. L. Travers.
In 1925 while in Ireland, Travers met the poet George William Russell who, as editor of The Irish Statesman, accepted some of her poems for publication. Through Russell, Travers met William Butler Yeats and other Irish poets who fostered her interest in and knowledge of world mythology. Later, the mystic Gurdjieff would have a great effect on her, as would also have on several other literary figures.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success.Five sequels followed, as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction.
The Disney musical adaptation was released in 1964. Primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books, it also lifted elements from the sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. Although Travers was an adviser to the production she disapproved of the dilution of the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character, felt ambivalent about the music and disliked the use of animation to such an extent that she ruled out any further adaptations of the later Mary Poppins novels. At the film's star-studded premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequence had to go. Disney responded by saying "Pamela, the ship has sailed." and walked away. Travers would never again agree to another Poppins/Disney adaptation, though Disney made several attempts to persuade her to change her mind.
So fervent was Travers' dislike of the Walt Disney adaptation and the way she felt she had been treated during the production, that well into her 90s, when she was approached by producer Cameron Mackintosh to do the stage musical, she only acquiesced upon the condition that only English born writers (and specifically no Americans) and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the creative process of the stage musical. This specifically excluded the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for the production even though they were still very prolific. Original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated into the production however. These points were stipulated in her last will and testament.
Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She died in London in 1996.
Although Travers never married, she adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.

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Books by P.L. Travers

Mary Poppins Comes Back (Mary Poppins, #2)

Mary Poppins Opens the Door (Mary Poppins, #3)

Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins, #4)

Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane (Mary Poppins, #5)

Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (Mary Poppins, #6)

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Trivia About Mary Poppins

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Quotes from Mary Poppins

“Don't you know that everybody's got a Fairyland of their own?” — 46 people liked it

“If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the cross-roads.” — 5 people liked it

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