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Mary Poppins Opens the Door (Mary Poppins #3)

by P.L. Travers, Mary Shepard (Illustrator), Agnes Sims (Illustrator)

4.06 · rating details · 911 ratings · 25 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, 288 pages

Published June 1st 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published 1943)

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Sep 26, 2011

Drew Graham rated it

· review of another edition

This is more of the same. It's a series of random, unconnected adventures concerning the toxic, rude, abusive Mary Poppins and her charming, thankfully resilient young charges. I kind of thought (hoped?) that this book would be comprised of, basically, Mary Poppins literally opening a door, and that would be it, but there was a little more to it than that.

This one starts with a random historical discussion on Guy Fawkes Day, leading to the return of Mary Poppins via firework in the P...moreThis is more of the same. It's a series of random, unconnected adventures concerning the toxic, rude, abusive Mary Poppins and her charming, thankfully resilient young charges. I kind of thought (hoped?) that this book would be comprised of, basically, Mary Poppins literally opening a door, and that would be it, but there was a little more to it than that.

This one starts with a random historical discussion on Guy Fawkes Day, leading to the return of Mary Poppins via firework in the Park. From there you read about stories involving peppermint stick horses, an undersea party honoring Mary Poppins (of course) and a celebration of the New Year with a multitude of rival fairy tale characters joining forces in The Crack between the old year and the new. This book also includes the story that was adapted to an animated short and included in a recent DVD release of Disney's Mary Poppins, "The Cat That Looked At a King." So for some reason every creature in the world adores Mary Poppins (at least in the non-human world), and I still don't really get it. The parents are more oblivious than ever, the kids are still pretty fun, but Mary Poppins is more toxic than ever. She's always looking at the children with disgust and treating them like they're absolute morons for mentioning the adventures that she led them on! The strangest part is that these adventures sometimes include the entire cast or other visitors of the park, but she still is furious and mortally offended at any implication that she would do anything reproachful. How can someone claim to be "practically perfect" when she's so horribly cross all the time? The writing is still all right, and the illustrations are still charming, but it's so hard to get on board when the main character is such an unpleasant prig. Why does she keep leaving and coming anyway. Perhaps to inflict further psychological damage to poor Jane and Michael?

I don't think the series needed to continue this long, but, well, it did. There's a little of the charming, and a lot of the maddening, but the balance is obviously off. I think Mary Poppins reaches her height of unpleasantness in this third book in the series.(less)

· see review

Jun 17, 2009

Willow rated it

About Mary Poppins: Mary Popping Opens the Door is the second part of Mary Poppins. I never even knew there were any other Mary Poppin's books besides the first one, before I found it on the shelf at the library. I had only seen the movie Mary Poppins, and not read any of the books yet. In this book, Mary Poppins returns (coming down from the sky again) and "saves the day" for the 5 children and their parents who didn't know what to do after Mary Poppins left unexpectedly the first ...moreAbout Mary Poppins: Mary Popping Opens the Door is the second part of Mary Poppins. I never even knew there were any other Mary Poppin's books besides the first one, before I found it on the shelf at the library. I had only seen the movie Mary Poppins, and not read any of the books yet. In this book, Mary Poppins returns (coming down from the sky again) and "saves the day" for the 5 children and their parents who didn't know what to do after Mary Poppins left unexpectedly the first time. Mary Poppins comes back to the children's home and gets everything in orde. While Mary Poppins is living with them many unusual things happen such as a statue coming alive, riding on flying candy canes, a trip under the sea, stuck in "the crack" between the years, and when James gets a present for his birthday and it comes alive.

It happened like this, James got a little, white, glass cat for his birthday that had little painted green flowers all over it. The glass cat jumped off of the mantel one day and went out the window. Then Mary Poppins told a story about where the cat had gone. The story goes along the lines of the poem:

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I’ve been up to London to look at the queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

At the end of her story the cat comes back up through the window, jumps back onto the mantelpiece, and is still again. That is one of my favorite parts in the book.

My other favorite part is where they go into "the crack" between the old year and the new year. In "the crack" all of the fairytales ever gather together and have a party. All of the fairytales are nice to each other, for istance, Little Red Riding Hood is friends with the wolf.

One thing though, Mary Poppins is very mean all throughout the book. She tries to never let the children see her smile and she says mean things. The children's Dad is a Mr. Grumpypants most of the time. :)

At the end of the book Mary Poppins goes away suddenly again; the children don't know she is going away until she is. They see her walking through the "other door" in their nursery.

I am going to read the next book in this series soon. I will probably read the first Mary Poppins book first though, since the second book referred to the first book a couple of times.

I recommend this book to children and adults. I think it is a very entertaining book and, as you see by my rating of stars, I really liked it. :)
(less)

· see review

Dec 28, 2010

Dasha rated it

Shelves: great-kid-s-books

I had never before read Mary Poppins in English [although it was one of my favorites, read and re-read, in Russian when I was a kid] and I was not prepared for how funny these books are. The language is fantastic.
Now, Mary Poppins Opens the Door is one of the later books in the series and P.L. Travers seems a little bit tired of coming up with different stories [the last two chapters are almost identical] but this installment does contain my favorite stories about the Cat Who Looked At the ...more

· see review

May 12, 2010

Janene rated it

Even though I'm no longer surprised at where Mary Poppins will take us next, the adventures are still fresh and so worthwhile. Jane and Michael KNOW they are so lucky to have this nanny pop into their life, and they know how tragic it is when it is time for her to go.

My only complaint is that the chapters in this one stretched a little too long, I thought. Within one of my favorites we find the actual moment when we here "close your mouth please Michael. We are not a codfish."...more

· see review

Nov 02, 2010

Stephanie rated it

Trying to make a connection b/t Sara Palin and Mary Poppins, b/c she's a bit scarier than Julie Andrews made her out to be. Perhaps Tina Fey makes Sara seem less scary and more funny....but I'm not sure....will continue to contemplate. Good to read before we catch the play w/ family and friends, I've at least got context. Think Audrey enjoyed it! Spit Spot!

· see review

May 09, 2011

Victoria rated it

This is the book that I read as a child that I have been wanting to reread for forever. After "popping" back in on fireworks, Mary and the Banks children are off again on more wonderful, magical and amazing adventures. From tirling on music boxes with Mr. Twigley to an undersea adventure that must have been the inspiration for the one in Bedknobs and Brooksticks. My favorite story of all the Mary Poppins is in this book. On New years Eve, between the first stroke of midnight and the la...more

· see review

Apr 21, 2010

Lilly Fife rated it

I like this book so far. it's kind of confusing for me though. But for people who has read Alice in Wonderland, nothings confusing to them.

· see review

Dec 18, 2011

Rhiannon rated it

Shelves: read-aloud

Mary Poppins is an outstanding read-aloud book. Each chapter is such a creative adventure, it's perfect pre-bed fare.

· see review

Jun 22, 2011

Lisa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: chapter-book, children-s-books, fantasy, read-aloud-to-my-kids

Another fun Mary Poppins adventure. This book beins with everyone feeling depressed and completely missing Mary, when by some miracle, she reappears and sets all at right again. Jane and Michael are once again taken on many wonderful adventures, including a trip under the see, and afternoon with a statue of a boy that comes to life, etc, etc. And although Mary has to leave again, they will never forget the fun they had and all she taught them.

I read this with my daughter, and it wa...more

· see review

Jan 30, 2011

Elizabeth Young rated it

Pay no attention to the Disney version. there is no one like Mary Poppins.

· see review

Aug 06, 2011

Jessie rated it

· review of another edition

Another great book in the Marry Poppins series with even more great adventures.

· see review

Nov 26, 2009

Fangirl rated it

· review of another edition

I loved the Mary Poppins books and was fascinated by her character.

· see review

Nov 01, 2011

Jan Yip rated it

Without a doubt my #1 favorite series as a child!

· see review

Nov 19, 2010

Haley rated it

Easiest read ever, but incredibly inspiring. Love.

· see review

Jun 30, 2009

Sherry rated it

Shelves: j-and-ya-books

A great series of adventures, with some especially wonderful ones towards the end of the book. As good, or even better, than the first Mary Poppins book!

· see review

May 01, 2009

Tommyb added it

Shelves: 12-12-2007, 21-49

Fiction,Children's fiction

· see review

Aug 10, 2011

Christian Krüger rated it

· review of another edition

Die Geschichten sind etwas konstruiert.

· see review

Jul 31, 2011

Steve Mitchell rated it

· review of another edition

Mary Poppins is not as nice in the books as she is in the film.

· see review

Aug 14, 2010

Sally rated it

age9

· see review

May 27, 2009

Felicity rated it

This is actualy the second one and I haven't even read the first one. I'm going to read it soon though. I have seen the movie though.
One thing that dissapointed me in this book was that I thought she was so mean! I know...the movie was wrong in making her so nice but I was shocked about how mean she was.

· see review

Feb 05, 2011

Beka rated it

I adore the Mary Poppins series. She is so different from how Disney portrayed her (though the scenes are similar), but yet so lovable. She is believable, yet magical, and I can't get enough of her books.

· see review

Dec 27, 2011

Sharon rated it

Typical Mary poppins, no better or worse. More majical at times though.

· see review

Jul 26, 2007

Ivy's Mom rated it

Shelves: kiddie_lit

I wanted to be Jane Banks when I was in the 5th grade.

· see review

Sep 15, 2007

Lori Anderson rated it

I reread this recently -- I love it!

· see review

Feb 13, 2010

Mary rated it

A collection of Mary Poppins adventures. So fun.

· see review

Feb 11, 2012

Paula rated it

Shelves: my-first-50-books

Feb 10, 2012

Stephanie marked it as to-read

Feb 09, 2012

Indiana added it

Feb 08, 2012

Jenn rated it

Feb 08, 2012

Katie rated it

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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 t...morePamela 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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Mary Poppins Opens the Door (Mary Poppins #3)

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