The Banks children, Jane and Michael, change nannies just about as often as most people change their clothes. It's not that they're naughty, exactly - just awkward. Everyone in the household is at their wits' end with them - until Mary Poppins arrives... This, the first book about Mary Poppins, will be familiar to everyone who has seen the film. For it is in this book that Jane and Michael draw up their advertisement for a nanny, and Mary Poppins appears out of the sky with her parrot-headed umbrella which talks. ...
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The Banks children, Jane and Michael, change nannies just about as often as most people change their clothes. It's not that they're naughty, exactly - just awkward. Everyone in the household is at their wits' end with them - until Mary Poppins arrives... This, the first book about Mary Poppins, will be familiar to everyone who has seen the film. For it is in this book that Jane and Michael draw up their advertisement for a nanny, and Mary Poppins appears out of the sky with her parrot-headed umbrella which talks. She is strict but fair, slides happily up the banisters, and takes the children on the most extraordinary outings - to a funfair inside a pavement picture; to uncle Andrew who sails up to the ceiling when he laughs - which she firmly denies afterwards. Needless to say, the children are devastated when she leaves, but by then, they and their parents are far more of a family than they ever were before Mary Poppins appeared.
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I first saw the Disney version in 1965 (age 17) and thought it was great. This year, after watching Saving Mr. Banks, a very interesting video, I got and read a copy of the book. First, it is extremely well written and highly entertaining, and not much like the movie. Most importantly, I was simply amazed at the awareness PL Travers (her pseudonym), exhibited regarding realms that the currently dominant worldview relegates to myth and imagination. Fortunately, young ones who's minds have not yet been utterly submerged by faddish thinking (e.g. the material meta-paradigm), frequently perceive the underlying truths that are wrapped in storytelling, that most ancient method of passing knowledge among humans. I recommend this book highly for all ages.
kimicheese
Dec 17, 2009
Not what Disney Taught Us
I had heard that Ms. Travers didn't care for the Disney treatment of her character, Mary Poppins, and I can see why. Mary Poppins was a sharp, vain, snippy nanny with some spunk! I loved it! She said what she thought, corrected misconceptions freely, and was totally in charge of her own destiny though of the working class. I loved the details of the book, and I liked knowing that some of the scene set ups in the movie were totally skewed. I liked learning what REALLY meant to go on. It was great. I want the rest of them now. NOW!
Corgi
Mar 11, 2009
Pure magic
This book is a great example of how a good movie may only give the dimmest, most shadowy idea of how great the original book was.
Many people don't know that Mary wasn't sugary sweet, she was tart and brusque and kept her tender side hidden (usually shown to the reader when the children aren't looking).
Yet this strict, no-nonsense nanny provides her charges with fantastic, wondrous adventures into other worlds or with impossible colorful myths - then pretends they never happened. (Warning: those who've had therapy to get over dysfunctional childhoods are likely to find this never-speak-of-it rule disturbing...)
Fun for any age, funny and dazzling.
CARL3
Jan 16, 2009
THE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN SPANISH IT SHOULD BE TOLD YHAT IN THE AD BEFORE BUYING IT.
