Mary Poppins (1934) by P.L. Travers is the first book in the classic children’s series about the enigmatic, magical nanny who arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane to care for the Banks children—Jane, Michael, and the twins—with a blend of sternness and wonder.
Unlike the cheerful Disney adaptation, Travers’ original Mary Poppins is sharp-tongued, vain, and mysterious, her magic subtle and often unsettling. The children’s adventures include:
- Sliding up banisters.
- Dancing with animated statues.
- Visiting a shop where gingerbread stars fix your teeth.
Travers’ prose is laced with dry wit and British whimsy, while her themes—childhood’s fleeting nature, the mundane mingled with the miraculous—resonate deeply.
For fans of: The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, or The Chronicles of Narnia’s quieter moments.
