Mary Poppins (book series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mary Poppins

The first four Mary Poppins books
Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Comes Back Mary Poppins Opens the Door Mary Poppins in the Park Mary Poppins from A to Z Mary Poppins in the Kitchen Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane Mary Poppins and the House Next Door
Author	P. L. Travers
Illustrator	Mary Shepard
Country	United Kingdom
Genre	Children's literature
Publisher	HarperCollins, London Harcourt, Brace, New Hampshire
Published	1934–1988
Media type	Hardback

The Mary Poppins books are a popular series of eight children's books. They were written by P. L. Travers, an author from Australia and Britain. The books were published between 1934 and 1988. Mary Shepard drew the pictures for all the books in the series.

The stories are about a magical English nanny named Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to London, England. She arrives at Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane to care for the Banks children. Mary Poppins takes the children on many amazing adventures. They meet street artists and shopkeepers. Mary Poppins then leaves suddenly, or "pops out."

Only the first three books show Mary Poppins arriving and leaving. The other five books tell about adventures that happened during her first three visits. P. L. Travers explained that Mary Poppins "cannot forever arrive and depart."

The books were made into a musical film by Walt Disney. The movie, Mary Poppins (1964), starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The film Saving Mr. Banks (2013) tells the story of how the 1964 movie was made. Disney also released a sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, in 2018. Emily Blunt played Mary Poppins in this new film.

In 2004, Disney Theatrical worked with Sir Cameron Mackintosh. They created a stage musical called Mary Poppins. It first opened in London's West End theatre. The musical then moved to Broadway in New York in 2006. It ran there until March 3, 2013.

The Mary Poppins Book Series

Mary Poppins: The First Adventure (1934)

This first book introduces the Banks family. They live at Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane in London. The family includes Mr. and Mrs. Banks, their children Jane and Michael, and baby twins John and Barbara. Their old nanny, Katie Nanna, leaves in a hurry. Then, Mary Poppins arrives at their home. She is carried by a very strong East wind and brings her special carpet bag.

Mary Poppins agrees to be their nanny. She says she will stay "till the wind changes." The children soon learn that their nanny is strict and sometimes cross. But she also has amazing magical powers. Jane and Michael have many incredible experiences with her. They have a tea party on the ceiling with Mr. Wigg. They travel around the world using a compass. They buy gingerbread stars from the very old Mrs. Corry. They meet the Bird Woman and have a birthday party at the zoo with animals. They even go Christmas shopping with a star named Maia from the Pleiades star cluster.

At the end, Mary Poppins opens her umbrella. The West wind carries her away. This is a famous image of Mary Poppins.

Changes to the "Bad Tuesday" Chapter

The original 1934 book had a chapter called "Bad Tuesday." In this story, Mary and the children used a compass to visit different places around the world very quickly. The first version of this chapter included descriptions of people from various cultures.

Over time, some parts of the story were seen as not respectful. P. L. Travers changed the chapter two times. In 1967, she removed words and descriptions that were considered offensive. The story still showed visits to foreign people. In 1981, the chapter was changed again. This time, the people were replaced with animals. The illustrator, Mary Shepard, changed the drawings to show a polar bear, a macaw, a panda, and a dolphin at the compass points. This made the story more respectful of different cultures.

Mary Poppins Comes Back: Her Return (1935)

After Mary Poppins left, things at Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane were not quite right. One day, Mrs. Banks sent the children to the park. Michael flew his kite high into the clouds. Everyone was surprised when Michael pulled his kite back. Mary Poppins was at the end of the string!

She became the children's nanny again. She said she would stay "till the chain of her locket breaks." This time, Jane and Michael meet the scary Miss Andrew. They also have an upside-down tea party. They visit a circus in the sky. In this book, a new baby girl, Annabel, is born into the Banks family. Now there are five children: three daughters and two sons.

Just like before, Mary Poppins leaves at the end of the book. She goes away on a magical merry-go-round. She throws her locket to the children as she disappears. But this time, she has a "return ticket, just in case" she needs to come back.

Mary Poppins Opens the Door: A Firework Entrance (1943)

When Mary Poppins left the Banks children last, she had a "return ticket." In this third book, she returns to the park. She arrives in a burst of fireworks! Once again, she takes on her nanny duties. She leads Jane, Michael, the toddler twins John and Barbara, and baby Annabel on new magical adventures.

They visit her cousin Fred Twigley. They become friends with a statue that comes to life. They ride on peppermint horses. They even experience a garden party under the sea.

Mary Poppins in the Park: More Adventures (1952)

This fourth book tells six more adventures of the Banks children with Mary Poppins. These stories happen during their trips to the park. The events in this book actually take place during the time of the second or third books.

Some of their adventures include a tea party with tiny people under dandelions. They visit cats on a different planet. They also have a Halloween dance party with their own shadows.

Mary Poppins From A to Z: Alphabet Fun (1962)

This book has twenty-six short stories, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each story is about Mary Poppins, the Banks children, or other characters. Every story is full of fun and unusual words that start with the featured letter.

Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: Cooking Lessons (1975)

Mary Poppins helps the Banks family when their cook suddenly leaves. She teaches the young Banks children the basics of cooking. The book even includes recipes for readers to try.

Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane: Midsummer Magic (1982)

Mary Poppins takes the Banks children on another memorable adventure. This one happens on the magical Midsummer's Eve. On this night, strange things can happen. Even mythical figures can come down from the sky. At the end of the book, there is a list of herbs mentioned in the story. It includes their names in different languages.

Mary Poppins and the House Next Door: A New Neighbor (1988)

The people living on Cherry Tree Lane are upset. Their favorite empty house, Number Eighteen, is about to have a new tenant. It will be Mr. Banks' childhood governess, Miss Andrew. She is known as "the Holy Terror."

But her arrival brings a nice surprise too. Luti, a boy from the South Seas, comes with her. He is both her helper and student. Jane and Michael are excited to have a new friend. However, Miss Andrew is very strict and makes Luti homesick. When Luti misses his home too much, Mary Poppins helps him. She makes it possible for him to visit the Man in the Moon to get home.

Mary Poppins in Other Media

Studio One: Early TV Show (1949)

Mary Poppins first appeared on television in 1949. It was a live play on CBS television's Studio One. Mary Wickes played Mary Poppins. E.G. Marshall was Mr. Banks. Tommy Rettig, who later starred in Lassie, played Michael.

Mary Poppins: The Disney Film (1964)

Screenshot of Julie Andrews from the trailer for the film Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins was made into a film by Walt Disney Productions in 1964. It was based on the first four books. Walt Disney tried to buy the film rights from P. L. Travers as early as 1938. Travers did not want a film version. She especially did not want an animated cartoon. She felt a film would not do justice to her books.

Disney's daughters loved the books when they were young. He finally bought the rights in 1961. However, Travers insisted on having the right to approve the script. The story of Travers and Disney is told in the 2013 Disney film Saving Mr. Banks. Emma Thompson played Travers, and Tom Hanks played Walt Disney.

Planning the film and writing the songs took about two years. The Sherman Brothers wrote the songs. British actress Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dyke played Bert, a key supporting role. Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber played the Banks children. David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns played George and Winifred Banks.

The film combines adventures from the books with new events. In the movie, John, Barbara, and Annabel Banks are not included. Mary Poppins is also shown as much kinder than in the books.

The film was very popular with critics and audiences. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Julie Andrews won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. The film also won four other Oscars. These were for Best Original Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"), Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Score. The movie takes place in the year 1910.

Mary Poppins, Goodbye!: A Russian Film (1983)

In 1983, the story was adapted by Mosfilm studios in the Soviet Union. It became a Russian-language TV musical film. The title was Мэри Поппинс, до свидания! (Mary Poppins, Goodbye). Natalya Andreychenko played Mary Poppins (acting) and Tatyana Voronina (singing).

Mary Poppins: The Stage Musical (2004)

Author P. L. Travers did not want to sell the rights for a stage musical for many years. She did not like the 1964 film version. She also felt Walt Disney treated her badly at the film's premiere.

Later, Travers sold the stage rights to London theater producer Cameron Mackintosh. She had one condition in her will. Only English writers, not Americans, could be involved in creating the musical. This included no one from the film production. Despite her strong feelings about the film, Travers eventually agreed. She let the musical use the famous Sherman Brothers' songs from the 1964 movie.

The musical first opened in the United Kingdom in September 2004. It then moved to London's West End theatre in December 2004. It ran for three years. The show then went on a UK tour. Many international versions were also staged, including a long run on Broadway in New York City.

Mary Poppins Returns: A New Disney Film (2018)

On September 14, 2015, Disney announced a new Mary Poppins film. It would have a new story and new songs. This was despite P. L. Travers' wishes in her will that no more movies be made. The film was directed by Rob Marshall and written by David Magee. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman composed the songs. Richard Sherman, who wrote songs for the original film, also helped.

This film is not a remake of the 1964 movie. In this story, Mary Poppins visits the now-adult Banks children from the first film. She takes care of Michael Banks' three children. The film is loosely based on the other seven Mary Poppins books. Emily Blunt stars as Mary Poppins. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Jack, a character similar to Bert from the first film.

The film was titled Mary Poppins Returns. It takes place in London during the Great Depression, 25 years after the first film. Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw play the grown-up Jane and Michael Banks. The movie was released on December 19, 2018.

Main Characters in Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins is a magical nanny. She arrives at the Banks home on Cherry Tree Lane. She takes charge of the Banks children. She never admits her strange powers. She acts offended if the children mention her past adventures. She first comes to them carried by the East Wind. At the end of the first book, she uses her umbrella and the West Wind to fly away.

In the 1964 Disney film, Julie Andrews plays her. In the 2018 sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, Emily Blunt plays her. Juliet Stevenson played her in the 2004 BBC Radio 4 drama.

The Banks Children

In the books, there are five Banks children. They are Jane (the oldest), Michael, twin toddlers John and Barbara, and Annabel. Jane and Michael are the oldest. They go on most of the magical adventures with Mary Poppins. They are the most important and talkative of the children. John and Barbara are twins. They start having adventures in the second book. Annabel is the youngest. She is born in the middle of the second book.

Their exact ages are not given. Jane is likely around seven in Mary Poppins. Michael is a year or two younger. John and Barbara have their first birthday in the first book. They seem to be about two when Annabel is born. Only Jane and Michael appear in the 1964 film and the stage musical. Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber played them in the film. In the 2018 sequel, Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw play them as adults. John and Annabel appear in the 2018 film. But they are Michael's children, not his siblings. Michael also has a third child in the film named Georgie.

Mr. Banks

George Banks is Mary Poppins' boss. He works at a bank. He lives at No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his wife and children. In the books, he is rarely around. He is gruff but loves his family.

In the film, he has a bigger role. He is a cross man focused on work. He wants order and often ignores his family. But his attitude changes for the better. Bert helps him see that his life, including his children's childhood, is passing by. This change is not in the books. In the musical, his role is similar to the film. He also has a backstory from the books. His parents ignored him, and a cruel governess tormented him as a child. David Tomlinson played him in the 1964 Disney film.

The film Saving Mr. Banks suggests that Mary Poppins is there to save the father, not the children. It says P.L. Travers wrote the books to make up for not being able to save her own father from his problems. This idea of saving the father was a big part of the 1964 film.

Mrs. Banks

Mrs. Banks is George Banks' wife. She is the mother of Jane, Michael, John, Barbara, and Annabel. Her first name is not given in the books. But it is Winifred in the film and musical.

In the books, she struggles to manage the Banks household. She is easily scared by Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins treats her with hidden disrespect. In the film, she is a strong suffragette (a woman who fought for the right to vote). This was to explain why she sometimes did not have time for her children. In the musical, she is a former actress. She tries hard to fit into her husband's social group. Glynis Johns played her in the 1964 Disney film.

Park Keeper

The Park Keeper is an important character in the books. He often appears in scenes in the park. The park is one of Mary's favorite places to take the children. He is very strict about the Park's rules. He is often confused or annoyed by Mary Poppins' magic. But he has learned to accept that he won't understand everything about her. He secretly misses his own childhood. He looks for any chance to join the children's games, like flying kites. His full name is Fred Smith, and his mother is the Bird Woman. He does not appear in the 1964 film. But he is in the stage musical. In the musical, he sings "Let's Go Fly a Kite" with Bert and the children. He appeared in the 2018 sequel, played by Steve Nicolson.

Bert the Matchman

The Matchman, or "Bert," is Mary Poppins' friend. In the books, he draws pictures on the pavement when the weather is good. When it rains, he sells matches. So he is called the Matchman. Mary Poppins sometimes goes out with Bert on her Second Thursday off. Bert is also friendly with the Banks children and other people on Cherry Tree Lane. Besides drawing and selling matches, he sometimes plays music with his hurdy-gurdy.

In the 1964 Disney film, Bert is a mix of the Matchman and the Sweep. Dick Van Dyke played him. He has a bigger role in the children's adventures. He helps Mary's Uncle Albert and gives Mr. Banks good parenting advice. In the musical, he is similar. He tells parts of the story and is a distant friend to Mary and the Banks children. In the 2018 film, Bert's helper Jack says Bert earned enough money to travel the world.

Miss Lark

Miss Lucinda Lark lives next door to 17 Cherry Tree Lane. She is very rich and lives in a big house. She owns two dogs: Andrew and Willoughby. She first had only Andrew, a pure-bred dog. But the mixed-breed Willoughby joined the family because Andrew asked for him (Mary Poppins translated the dog language).

She appears throughout the books. She is usually shocked by Mary Poppins' magical tricks. She is known for her obsession with her dogs. She takes them to the hairdresser and buys them fur coats and boots. She has a small role in the film and musical. In the film, she only has Andrew. In the musical, she only has Willoughby. Willoughby also appears in the sequel. Marjorie Bennett played her in the first film. Sudha Bhuchar played her in the sequel.

Admiral Boom

Admiral Boom also lives on Cherry Tree Lane. He is a former Naval Officer. He lives in a house shaped like a ship. He lives with his wife Mrs. Boom and his assistant, Binnacle. Binnacle used to be a pirate. The Admiral is known for using colorful sailor words. But since the books are for children, he never actually swears. His favorite saying is "Blast my gizzard!"

In the film, he is a neighbor of the Banks family. He fires his cannon to mark the time. This version of the Admiral is more proper and focused on order. Reginald Owen played him in the original film. David Warner played him in the 2018 sequel.

Other Household Helpers

In the books, the Banks family has three other helpers besides Mary Poppins. They are Ellen, Mrs. Brill, and Robertson Ay. Ellen is the maid. She loves the children but hates looking after them without a nanny. She almost always has a cold. Mrs. Brill is the cook. She does not like Ellen. She is often grumpy for no clear reason. Robertson Ay is a young boy who does many different jobs. He is lazy and forgets things. For example, he once put shoe polish on Mr. Banks' hat.

The film shows Mrs. Brill and Ellen. Reta Shaw and Hermione Baddeley played them. Robertson Ay is not in the film. The musical includes Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay, but not Ellen. Only Ellen appears in the 2018 film, played by Julie Walters.

Mary Poppins' Friends and Family

• Bird Woman: An old woman who sits on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral. She feeds the birds. She sells bags of crumbs for "tuppence a bag." She appears a few times in the books and is good friends with Mary. Later, we learn she is the Park Keeper's mother. Her real name is Mrs. Smith. Jane Darwell played her in the 1964 film. She sings the song "Feed the Birds" with Mary Poppins. She also sings this song in the musical.
• Mrs. Clara Corry: A very, very old woman. Some say she is the oldest woman in the world. She owns a shop that sells gingerbread. She can snap off her own fingers. They instantly turn into candy, and her fingers grow back. She appears several times with her daughters. She has a small role in the 1964 film. In the musical, she has a bigger role and runs a "conversation shop." She leads the song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with Mary and Bert.
• Annie and Fannie: Mrs. Corry's very large daughters. Their mother often bosses them around. They have small roles in the 1964 film and the musical.
• Albert Wigg: Mary's Uncle, probably her mother's brother. He is a big, round, bald man who is always happy. If his birthday is on a Friday, he fills with "laughing gas" and floats in the air. He appears in the 1964 film as Uncle Alfred, played by Ed Wynn. He sings "I Love to Laugh" with Bert. He is not in the musical.
• Arthur and Topsy Turvy: Mary's cousin and his wife. Arthur Turvy fixes broken things. He has a strange condition. From 3:00 to 6:00 pm on the second Monday of every month, he does the opposite of what he wants. For example, he stands on his head when he wants to stand normally. Despite this, he falls in love with Topsy and marries her. Meryl Streep played Topsy Turvy in the film Mary Poppins Returns.
• Fred Twigley: Mary Poppins' cousin. He gets seven wishes granted on a special day.
• Balloon Woman: An old woman and a friend of Mary's. She sells magical balloons in the park. The name of the person who buys a balloon appears on it. Angela Lansbury played her in the 2018 sequel.
• Neleus: A marble statue of a Greek hero. Mary Poppins brings him to life. He wants to be reunited with his father, Poseidon. He appears in the stage musical during the "Jolly Holiday" song.

Other Characters

• Miss Andrew: The strict former nanny of Mr. Banks. She is known as "the Holy Terror." Almost everyone is afraid of her, except Mary Poppins. Miss Andrew tries to control the Banks children's lives. She comes to stay at their home and later moves next door. But Mary Poppins always stops her. She is not in the film. But she has a big role in the musical. She is similar to the books and sings "Brimstone and Treacle."
• The Sweep: A chimney sweep who often works on Cherry Tree Lane. He believes it's good luck to shake hands with a sweep. He is friendly with the Banks children. In the film and musical, the Sweep character is combined with Bert. He becomes a much bigger character. His belief about good luck is mentioned in the song "Chim Chim Cher-ee". Dick Van Dyke played the combined Bert/Sweep character in the 1964 film.
• Constable Egbert: The local policeman. He is good friends with the Park Keeper. He is secretly in love with Ellen, the Banks' maid. He is a triplet, and his brothers are also policemen. In the film, his last name is Jones, and Arthur Treacher plays him. He also appears briefly in the musical.

Character Appearances in Books and Adaptations

Actors Who Played Mary Poppins Characters

Mary Poppins Celebrations

Umbrella Mosaic Record (2011)

To celebrate 100 years of P. L. Travers living in Bowral, Australia, people tried to break a world record. They wanted to make the world's largest umbrella mosaic. This happened on Bradman Oval in Bowral on May 7, 2011. A total of 2,115 people helped achieve this record. A helicopter took a picture from above.

London Olympics Celebration (2012)

Mary Poppins was part of a celebration of British children's literature. This happened during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. In a part called "Second to the right, and straight on till morning," over thirty Mary Poppins characters flew down with umbrellas. They fought and defeated villains like the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, and Lord Voldemort. These villains were haunting children's dreams.

Images for kids

• 

  Mary Poppins statue in Leicester Square, London

See also

In Spanish: Mary Poppins (serie de libros) para niños