illustrated by Mary Sheppard
Although I must admit, I read this children's book with the Disney version's music humming in my head, this book is so different, in a good way, from the movie. Mary Poppins is the stern and slightly self-centered magical nanny who brings adventures to Jane and Michael Bank's life as they meet a cast of many adorable characters, each imparting their own subtle messages: the Match-Man who brings his paintings to life, Andrew the pedigree dog who wishes to be common, Mr Wigg who couldn't stop laughing, the Red cow who couldn't stop dancing, the Bird Woman who couldn't stop singing, the wise King Hamadryad and the pleiadian Maia.
'If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the cross-roads. He will push his helmet slightly to one side, scratch his head thoughtfully, and then he will point his huge white-gloved finger and say: "First to your right, second to your left, sharp right again, and you're there. Good morning."(opening lines)
'With her large bag in her hands she slid gracefully up the banisters, and arrived at the landing at the same time as Mrs. Banks. Such a thing, Jane and Michael knew, had never been done before. Down, of course, for they had often done it themselves. But up -- never! They gazed curiously at the strange new visitor.'(8-9)
'But Mary Poppins's eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her -- something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting.'(11-12)
"Mary," he said, "I got an idea! A real idea. Why don't we go there -- right now -- this very day? Both together, into the picture. Eh, Mary? And still holding her hands he drew her right out of the street, away from the iron railings and the lamp-posts, into the very middle of the picture. Pff! There they were, right inside it!'(21)
'Mr Wigg went on calmly. "You see, it's this way. I'm a cheerful sort of man and very disposed to laughter. You wouldn't believe, either of you, the number of things that strike me as being funny. I can laugh at pretty nearly everything. I can."(32-33)
'The Red Cow, drawing in her breath, gave one huge tremendous jump and the earth fell away beneath her... She herself shot upwards through the sky, with the stars spinning around her like great golden plates, and presently, in blinding light, she felt the cold rays of the moon upon her. She shut her eyes as she went over it, and as the dazzling gleam passed behind her and she bent her head towards the earth again, she felt the star slip down her horn. With a great rush it fell off and went rolling down the sky. And it seemed to her that as it disappeared into the darkness great chords of music came from it and echoed though the air.'(77)
"Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag! Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag! Feed the Birds, Tuppence a bag, Tuppence a Bag!" Over the over again, the same thing, in a high chanting voice that made the words seem like a song.'(106)
"You'll forget because you can't help it.. There never was a human being that remembered after the age of one -- at the very latest -- except of course, Her." And he jerked his head over his shoulder at Mary Poppins.'(140)
"And after all," he went on, flicking his terrible little forked tongue in and out as he spoke, "it may be that to eat and be eaten are the same thing in the end. My wisdom tells me that this is probably so. We are all made of the same stuff, remember, we of the Jungle, you of the City. The same substance composes us -- the tree overhead, the stone beneath us, the bird, the beast, the star -- we are all one, all moving to the same end."(172-173)
"... the whole point of Christmas is that things should be given away, isn't it?"(188)
Scholastic Book Services edition
206 pages
Book owned
Post book cover picture from Goodreads
Book qualifies for: 100+ Reading Challenge
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