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Summary: Even "Right-Wingers" love Mary!
Review: 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.
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Summary: If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane...
Review: 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.
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Summary: For Children Only
Review: I never read this as a child, but I did see the Disney movie. However, it's been so long since I saw the movie that I can't recall much about it other than "Supercalifrag..."--you know--and, while there's a medicine scene here, it certainly didn't ring any memory bells. I suspect that Disney was true to form and took quite a few liberties with the story. On its own, the book is quite disjointed. I can see where it might work on a read-aloud a chapter-per-night basis, but in one sitting it was hurried and almost nonsensical. Part of my dissatisfaction could be that I am not the intended audience, but I feel that children's books like children's movies should be able to grab both the interest of children and adults alike, at least once. I'm going to have to file Mary Poppins with Norman Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth as another children's book that I just missed out on. Thankfully, I was able to still appreciate books like The Adventures of Pinocchio and James and the Giant Peach, although I had not read those as a child.
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Summary: Mary Poppins
Review: I read all three Mary Poppins books when I was a child in the forties. I loved Mary Poppins. I loved her hat and her severe blue suit and her sensible shoes, but most of all I loved her umbrella with its parrot head. I've been looking for one like it all my life. I've owned a couple of umbrellas with ducks' heads, but I never found one with a parrot head. When Disney announced that Julie Andrews would play Mary Poppins in a movie, I was shocked and appalled. Were these movie people absolutely insane? Of all the people in the entire world, dead or alive, Julie Andrews is the very last person I would choose to play Mary Poppins. In fact, if Julie Andrews were the only person in the world left to play the role, I'd forget about making the movie and reread the book. Agnes Moorehead, now, might have worked.
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Summary: Right Wing nuts can't smother the immortal Mary
Review: I was amused, in an appalled kind of way, by the 2-star ratings for this classic from a couple of reviewers suffering from an advanced case of religious tunnel vision, in which they suggest that Mary Poppins is a front for paganism and satanism. P. L. Travers, one of the most accomplished and gifted women of the 20th century, was a scholar whose wide knowledge of myth and fairy tale enhanced rather than undermined her unshakeable religious beliefs. That she didn't broadcast her faith as did that tiresome convert C. S. Lewis is only to her everlasting credit. What, precisely, do the shallow readings of these intellectually challenged reviewers signify? Nix Naught Nothing. If they had read further, and deeper, they would have found, at the end of "Mary Poppins Opens the Door," writ large in capital letters: "GLORIA IN EXCELCIS DEO" which, for the unLatined, translates as "Glory to God in the Highest." This, I submit, is not the way a Pagan or a satanist would choose to end one of their books.
In Jonathan Cott's excellent 1983 book on great children's authors, "Pipers at the Gates of Dawn", Cott quotes Travers: "C. S. Lewis has a wonderful phrase to the effect that 'there is only one Creator, and we merely mix the elements he gives us.' I never use the word 'creator' or 'creative', because I know that I'm neither. I'm a sort of apprentice, perhaps." This is a perfect example of her radiant faith and modest self view. For those who would like to know more about this brilliant woman, who died in 1996, I suggest they read "Lively Oracles", edited by Ellen Dooling Draper and Jenny Koralek (available through Amazon), a loving and fascinating tribute to the memory of one of the greatest children's authors who ever drew breath.
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Summary: The Original Mary
Review: 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.
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Summary: Mary Poppins Best Book Ever
Review: 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.
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Summary: Mary Poppins
Review: 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?
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Summary: The Sweet-Sour nanny at Cherry Tree Lane
Review: The brilliance of P. L. Traver's Poppins books is that the character of Mary Poppins is a study in contrast. Like an old-fashioned nanny, on the surface she is severe, critical and exacting. After all, she is entrusted with the serious job of raising British children. Underneath the self-satisfied, and even annoyingly "practically perfect" exterior is a magical soul, who befriends an odd lot of misfits and manages to charm everyone, including some lonely and neglected middle-class British kids of the very early 20th Century. And who can explain jumping into chalk pictures, laughter that sends you floating and many other odd occurrences that Mary takes as matter-of-fact. The value of reading the Poppins series is that the books don't match the fun but more saccharine movie. The subtleties of a main character who is both lovable and cranky all at the same time make for fun family discussions and learning how to love people for their individual quirks, despite their more annoying characteristics. Every child should have the opportunity to enjoy this quirky, unique classic.
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Summary: Emotionally evocative, delightful, and mystical story.
Review: This book is just wonderful, and I find it difficult to imagine any child who loves reading not liking it. It has a sense of mystery, even sanctuary about childhood. In the end, I read it as a faery story, although I'm sure that there are other paths just as rewarding. In any case, it's got elements of the fantastic, just a little hint of romance, a drop of melencholy, and enough humour and imagination to keep both younger and older readers entertained and smiling. In its own way it made my soul feel a little happier on the day I read it, and it's for that more than anything that I recommend it.
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