Amazon.com

For all her offended sniffs and humphs, Mary Poppins is likely the most exciting nanny England--and the world--has ever seen. Young Jane and Michael Banks have no idea what's in store for them when Mary Poppins blows in on the east wind one autumn evening. Soon, though, the children are having tea on the ceiling, flying around the world in a minute (visiting polar bears and hyacinth macaws on the way), and secretly watching as their unusual nanny pastes gold paper stars to the sky. Mary's stern and haughty exterior belies the delightful nonsense she harbors; her charges, as well as her literary fans, respect and adore her.

Grownups who have forgotten Mary Poppins's true charms will be tickled pink to rediscover this uniquely unsentimental fantasy. Younger readers will walk into Mary's world without batting an eye--of course the animals in the zoo exchange places with people on the night of the full moon.Certainly a falling star landing on a cow's horn will make her dance ceaselessly. Why wouldn't one be able to enter into a chalk picture?The only disappointing aspect of this classic is that it doesn't go on forever! (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (30)

If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane...
I have to admit that I cannot completely explain the attraction of Pamela Travers' tale of Mary Poppins, nanny extraordinaire. But 48 years later, and Julie Andrews notwithstanding, I still found myself nodding and smiling as I read the book. Strange things just happen around Mary. You can wander into paintings and travel the world with a magic compass. Laughter makes you fly and the animals in the zoo will celebrate your birthday if you're nice. All at Mary Poppins' whimsy.

Growing up in the U.S., with no concept of what a nanny was, I still loved her right away. What is odd about this is that she actually isn't all that likable. She is quite vain and very, very bossy. She says 'no' a lot, and rarely stops to explain herself or reveal her secrets. Yet somehow you know that she will never let you down and she always will do what she says. Young Jane and Michael (and the even younger twins) couldn't ask for a better guide and protector. In a family where the father is most often at work 'in the city' and the mother is loving but a trifle inept, Mary is the glue that keeps things working together.

The book is actually a series of short tales of a fantastical nature. Sometimes the tale contains the requisite grain of wisdom and sometimes it is just silly fun. Perhaps the willingness to be light hearted is what charms young listeners. In addition to those already mentioned, there is the tale of the dancing cow, and a touching explanation of why we cannot talk to birds. Even though the book is quite readable for an 8 or nine year old, it is really best for being read to children. The adventures should be appealing to almost any child and the pen and ink sketches are a delight to look at.

If you are considering buying a reprint edition, there is, another reason why the book is best read out loud by a parent. In 1934, when the it was originally published, a certain amount of cultural insensitivity was common, and while it did harm, it was not really intended to. In one story, 'Bad Tuesday,' the children travel the world to meet Eskimos, Chinese, Native Americans and Blacks. While all these people are stereotyped, the description of the Black Africans is atrocious. People of color will find it quite offensive. Thanks heavens, in the Odyssey Classics edition this has been remedied. It is the latter I recommend.

It is a relief that there are publishers who understand the value of a wonderful story and will take the appropriate steps to keep it accessible. Mary Poppins teaches us all that wonder lies behind even the most mundane things. I expect I will be right there with Michael and Jane waiting for our magical nanny to return.

The Original Mary
Katie Nana has left the Bank family in need of a new nanny. But before they know it, a woman blows in on the East Wind. Literally. She takes the position of caring for the four children, Jane, Michael, and the twins John and Barbara. But with her extremely prim and proper attitude comes magical adventures. A day in the park, having tea, running errands, and even Christmas shopping can turn into an adventure when Mary's around. And the kids love it.

This most decidedly is not the Disney Mary Poppins. Disney toned her down significantly for his movie, making her heart easier to see. Still, it's there if you look closely in the book. I had forgotten just how hard it is to see at times behind Mary's outward appearance and actions. Still, the kids come to love her because they know where they really stand.

As with all books in the series, this one is a series of adventures. Each chapter tells it's own story, each story it's own fun, magical adventure.

Those looking for Disney's Mary will be greatly disappointed. But anyone looking for a fun series of adventures will find a woman who does care for those around her, even if it's not always super obvious.

Mary Poppins Best Book Ever
Mary Poppins is a spectacular book about imagination and magic. It fulfills your heart with joy once you open the first page. And it is especially a wonderful book for children because children at a young age have a special gift in their minds imagination. When you read this book you will understand every single thing Mary Poppins does and how she does it for example when Mary Poppins first appeared popping out from a rocket on Guy Fawke's Day. I highly recommend this book to adults and children all over the world because you can build up your vocabulary so you can read and write and be creative with your own mind. I personally like the book because it gets more and more interesting as you read and it makes the reader want to go on to the next chapter and so on. It will also make you read faster. My absolute favorite part was when it was Mary Poppin's birthday and Jane and Michael (the two children Mary Poppins took care of) were sitting in a circus with seals and tigers all over. I also, enjoyed the part where Mary Poppins had a compass and while the children were falling to sleep in their dreams (that was actually real life) they saw themselves with Mary Poppins in the North Pole talking to a polar bear.

read these books!
whether you're a child, a child at heart, or someone who wants to re-discover your childhood, read these Mary Poppins books! This is the first in P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins series. And no, Mary if not practically perfect, she is perfectly perfect! There are too many things that I love about these books to list them all: the comedy, the quotable quotes, the lessons to learn, the fabulous writing style. I'm so glad I discovered these great books; I urge everyone else to too at every chance I get! :)

Mary Poppins
October 2, 2003

P.L. Travers
W.W. Norton & Co.

Have you ever seen a stranger fly up a staircase, talk to animals, or put a star in the sky? Well, Marry Poppins can! This is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read and it's way better than the movie. Marry Poppins is about a family who live in a house made to look like a ship. When the family needs a nannie to take care of the children, Marry comes to fill the position. I really liked it when Jane, the oldest child, had a dream about going to the zoo with her bother Michael at night and how every thing there was upside down. People where inside the cages and the animals were watching and running around. It seemed to be Marry Poppins birthday and some lord snake was giving her a present, his shedded skin. The weird part about it is that Michael had the same dream and Marry the next morning was wearing a new snake skin belt. To find out more read the book. I did and I really liked it!

Marry is a strange and mysterious woman who comes and goes when the wind changes. The characters had lots of attitude. Michael and Jane were the kids and John and Barbara were the twin babies. There was
the street painter who can jump into his own paintings. Also, there are the Mom and Dad who don't have a clue that Marry is a magical woman.

This was an awesome and creative book. It had lots of adventure and excitement. Like when Marry takes her compass, says a direction, and instantly she's there! I really liked it because I like fantasy books. Marry Poppins was definitely a page turner with great suspense because Marry Poppins can only stay a little while, but why? ... Read more

Product Description

Mary Poppins returns to the Banks family in a rocket and involves the Banks children in more magical adventures including those with Peppermint Horses, the Marble Boy, and the Cat that Looked at the King. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mary Poppins Pops In For Parties in the Park
When adults forget their childhood pals, daydreamers make foolish wishes and the wind blows unusually strong, it always leads to something quite out of the ordinary -- that is, whenever Mary Poppins is around.

In this, the final Mary Poppins book that P.L. Travers gave us before her death at age 90, we share the five Banks' childrens' adventures. Besides Jane and Michael, who were in the classic Disney movie, there are also toddler twins John and Barbara and infant Annabel.

A big departure from the Disney flick is Mary Poppins herself. Here, she is not the smiling, syrupy sweet nanny that young Julie Andrews portrayed; rather, the book's title character is strict, stern, often sarcastic and very taken with herself. Her strong personality makes her a unique storybook character and readers will find this Mary Poppins more of an enigma. Which, frankly, makes for better stories.

Everything in this book is G-rated but not preachy. Travers gives her young readers many fascinating, but never frightening, fantasy situations. Or are they real? Jane and Michael can never quite tell. The lines between what's real and what's not always blur around Mary Poppins.

This book is a series of unrelated chapters, self-contained stories, all dealing with the same main characters. Nothing is ever as it seems in the nursery of No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane -- or in the nearby park.

On a hot summer's day, Mary Poppins tells the children a tale of a hobo who was an angel in disguise, shedding his rags and growing wings as he flies away.

In another chapter, Michael, upset that he's caught a cold, finds that some days when everything seems to be going all right, it's actually going all wrong. He's taught a valuable lesson on a planet full of cats.

Later in the book, the children find messages on falling leaves. And witness a delightful, but not frightening, Halloween shadow dance in the park.

The nanny's magical cousin, Mr. Mo, is introduced. Jane finds the little toy figures she's created and destroyed do have lives of their own.

Around Mary Poppins, adults -- including favorites such as Admiral Boom, Miss Lark and her two dogs Andrew and Willoughby, the Bird Woman and Bert -- are caught off balance. Zookeepers, policemen and taxi drivers react to a flurry of frenzied events. Characters pop out of storybooks, out of Jane's mind, and off ceramic bookends. Lions and unicorns and even Indian chiefs prance through the park.

We are taken to worlds that exist between the blades of grass in the lawn, and up in the sky, to where felines and children disappear. There are traffic snarls, wedding breakfasts and birthday parties. And through it all, stalks Mary Poppins, with not a hair out of place. In very short order, characters get what they deserve, if not what they expect, and things are set right.

How does she do it? No one knows. Mary Poppins, you see, never, ever explains. But, she always entertains. Have some fun in the park with this magical nanny. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Good but not Great book
This book is an exciting book, but you have to get into it before it becomes exciting. The book is very long and the chapers are about 25 pages each. This book should be for good readers (in 5th grade). P.L. Travers made a very good book though. Mary Poppins will always be my favorite character.

Not the best,but still quite good.
This is (to my knowledge) the third Mary Poppins book. It would have been 5 stars,but Travers doesn't seem to think of any new plots,just twists on the same ones. Still, it has very good story lines. There is the usual relitive of Mary, an old woman selling some magic item in the park. The object makes the 5 children and Mary fly home after getting Mrs.Banks some supplies. There is thev outing at bedtime where Mary has gone out - andis a geust of honor along with Jane and Michael. This does not have a bad day, but it has Mary coming and going in unusual ways. Mary Poppins is a bit more strict than in the movie,but still enjoyable. P.L. Travers seems to haver written this as the last book, but there are more after this. Ther5e are five children, not two. You should read the books in the order they were written to get an idea about these books. This is in the top ten on my must-read list. It is fantastic!

an unforgetable book
Marry poppins brings me to a totally different and fantastic world that I can never imagine ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Even "Right-Wingers" love Mary!
Contrary to what SOME people may think not ALL "Right Wing"ers (I assume they mean conservative, Pro-life Christians, which I am)are book burners or anti-Mary Poppins. I LOVE M.P. and so do my six children. I read it as a child and loved it and am now reading it to my younger kids. It's wonderful literature, everyone should own it for their home library, especially homeschoolers like us! Great vocabulary, literary elements, geographical/historical info. and pure FUN!

As to the "Bad Tuesday" chapter, we just read it (revised version) and loved it. Every child has times when they feel that way - mad at the world. Forcing them to "be nice" may not always be the answer. Even kids need to vent sometimes! I think this chapter was great. Seems like everyone mostly ignored Michaels bad behavior, instead of giving him the attention he was after and then he suffered the "consequences" of his own misbehavior in the end when the animals turned on him! Then Mary was there to comfort him in her very distinct way (I think she only pretends not to care and the kids know it!) and he was apologetic and a changed little boy. I think this chapter is good because it shows kids that feeling and acting "bad" sometimes is normal and that even good kids (as Michael usually is) sometimes misbehave but that their family still loves them and will forgive them. (And that if you're TOO bad wild animals may get you!!!)

And to anyone trying to read something into it (witchcraft, Eastern religion) - GET REAL! It's a fun children's book, nothing more. It's pure fun and fantasy. No different or more evil than Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Winnie the Pooh, or any classic fairy tale (Cinderella, Snow White, etc). Fantasies stimulate the imagination, expand the mind, foster a love of reading and literature, and make the heart sing! Good books are one of the best part of childhood - let's not spoil them for kids with our conspiracy theories. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a bonus for young book lovers!
My daughter and I love this book. She is learning her alphabet and understanding the sounds that go with the letters! Each letter of the alphabet has a clever story involving PL Travers delightful characters. It is verbose if your child doesn't love to listen to stories and be challenged by vocabulary, this is not for you. But if yours is like mine...you will both enjoy it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nothing that special?
This slim read by the writer of the "Mary Poppins" book leaves a bit to be desired. It starts off with the author's own version of Sleeping Beauty and has five other tales from different countries and time periods. In between Travers' version and the others, there is an essay about Sleeping Beauty and fairy tales. Nothing in the essay was anything that will surprise or really intrigue the reader. I think there are better essays and collections of fairy tales out there. ... Read more