Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers (2006, Paperback)

This is a review of Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, Illustrated by Mary Shepard; Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich reprint, 1962, 191 pages. This is the 1st book in series of 5 that includes Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins In The Park, Mary Poppins from A to Z, Mary Poppins Comes Back, and Mary Poppins Opens the Door.

"Neat and prim, wearing a new hat trimmed with a crimson tulip, the incomparable Mary Poppins is here once more to delight her hosts of admirers, young and old, everywhere..." (from the dust jacket)

This is the book that inspired the Disney movie---but this is not Disney's Mary Poppins! This Mary Poppins also has magic; and can affect time and space. But this nanny has a macabre edge to her and is not strictly benevolent. She is beloved and held in awe by all she comes in contact with. She has magical things happened around her, but does not seem to cause it- we see no nose twitches; hear no incantations. Whether she is jumping into sidewalk pictures into another world, or helping Mrs. Corry and her daughters paste paper baking stars into the sky by use of a ladder (with the indication that they are responsible for the maintenance of the real stars), or discussing the Banks babies with a starling (who relates a charming story about newborns being sensitive to everything around themselves, and how they can understand the speech of animals. The starling poignant grief regarding the loss of this special sensience at about the age of 1, when babies begin to speak human language, make Mary Poppins all the more remarkable, as she has not lost these abilities). P.L. Travers does not spell out the specifics of who Mary Poppins is, or the essence of her powers - she relates incidents that hint at her nature, and allow the reader to form conclusions on his or her own. Mary Poppins has an aura of a being apart, omnificient; possibly omnipotent. She also is gruff, vain, and opinionated; and kind, compassionate, and well, human.

This series of books is a cut above the average children's literature, and belongs among such classics as Alice In Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz.
Hopefully clearing up misconceptions about Mary Poppins will open these books up to a new generation of readers, who only know her in the context of Julie Andrews singing "A Spoonful of Sugar", and perhaps assign her to 4-8 year olds, when 9-12 and up will enjoy these books. I would compare their humor to that of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, and and find them more exciting and magical than Peter Pan. Mary Poppins is definitely a keeper!