Mary Poppins

I love grim-dark fantasy and such, but in between those books, classic children’s literature is a fantastic pallet cleanser. Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, the secret Garden, and Mary Poppins. In one divergence from its movie counterpart Mary Poppins translates for a dog and its owner, hilarious. Mary Poppins is much more stern with Jane and Michael in the book.

The MARY POPPINS book by P.L. Travers is certainly not the "G" rated Disney/Julie Andrews version but it's still a beloved classic. I love the reissue of the classic hardcover edition with the dust jacket because that's how I remember the book when I discovered it as a child at my school's library in the 70s. Since then, it's been one of my favorites! Illustrations by Mary Shepard are cute and provide a nice treat every couple of pages. And like other reviewers have said, this original Mary Poppins character is a conceited and no-nonsense type of woman who can be quite sharp with the Bank's children. She's nothing like the Julie Andrews character in the movie. But nevertheless, she's still an endearing character that takes the kids (and the reader) on wonderful and magical adventures. We should all be so lucky as to have a "Mary Poppins" in our lives! I recommend this book for story or bedtime for kids of all ages.

This is the original Mary Poppins book, which came out a long time before the famous Disney movie. Mary Poppins in the book is somewhat different than the movie version. The book version of Mary Poppins is a magical nanny of unexplained origin. She is strict with her charges, and she is quite vain, frequently admiring her appearance in the mirror. The book doesn't really tell one lengthy story. Rather, each chapter relates a seperate fascinating anecdote involving Mary Poppins. This is a great, classic childrens book.

Who WAS Mary Poppins, anyway? Well, as one who grew up with P.L. Travers' fabulous books, I can tell you who she was not. She did not give medicine with a spoonful of sugar, she was not a nauseatingly sweet airhead with an umbrella, and--guess what--she was NOT A NICE PERSON!Which is exactly why I and my friends loved her. Other reviewers have found all kinds of hidden meanings, from satanism to British racism, to describe this and the other Mary Poppins books, probably because of the shock of finding that the real thing has so much more depth than the sickening movie version.As a child in the 50s, I had no notion of British sensibilities or history, no clue about so-called satanism, and my sweet little child mind was ripe for all kinds of dire cult messages. But somehow, what I gleaned from these books was the best kind of adventure: an adult who wasn't really a parent, wasn't really a teacher, was definitely in charge--and yet strange magical things constantly happened in her presence. There were lessons to be learned: if Jane and Michael, the older children, misbehaved, the magic went awry. Badly awry. There was danger. There were consequences to their actions. Have a tantrum, and you just might wind up on the wrong end of an antique plate--trapped inside with no way out. Be rude to adults and other children, and your nice little world will change in ways you don't want to know about. But always, in the end, Mary Poppins was there to save the day without saying "I told you so." She was what so many modern children sorely lack: a strong parent figure. There was no spoiling, no giving in to whining demands (who would dare whine at Mary Poppins anyway?), and no indulgence. But there was also love and protection and security.Is it wrong to expose today's children to literature such as this that may be politically incorrect? That is a debate that is larger than this review. I can only say from experience that even as a child, I took these books for what they were: fiction. And I loved them. Give me my nasty, vain, pompous REAL Mary Poppins any day of the week. In my view, she wears well. Very, very, well.

I bought a copy of this book when I was 9. I read it , loved it, but as any child would, eventually lost it. As I was going through a pile of stuff in the attic the other day, I came across it once again. The pages were yellowed and torn, and the spine was falling apart, but the story never lost its magic. I was engrossed in the characters' every move, and I actually cried when the book reached its end. I would recommend Mary Poppins for readers of all ages, for it is a work of art that leaves memories that will be treasured for a lifetime.