"Mary Poppins" by P.L. Travers

An essay-like review of the beloved children's classic

Earlier this summer, on a day when my intellectual curiosity got the better of me, for good reasons, mind you, I was strolling through the aisles of the local library, wanting to see what titles would catch my eye and which I would know to ignore. 

After searching and walking about here and there in the few minutes that felt like forever, going from the Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction sections alike to DVD and back, trying to find that "connecting link" between catchy title and mental intrigue, or just titles I'd seen before and wanted to invest the time and mental energy to digest the story, I found my way to the Children's section. And came across a number of familiar colors and ideas. 

I know. You're probably thinking, 'a grown man stumbling across the library, the children's section much less?He's weird.' And, to an extent, maybe this guy was just that way. And it felt fine, for those few moments anyway.

However, this guy also came across a familiar friend. This only popped out because it was such a recognizable tale, to almost everyone and anyone whom is at least familiar with it.

That tale belonged to none other than Mary Poppins, created by P.L. Travers. Yes, I'll admit I ran across her title a day or two after I finished my long, consuming days of Moneyball. "I need a little break," I told myself, constantly wondering if the next few books I consumed would take so much energy or demand my time here and there, especially when I wasn't worried about other things in the meantime, things that took priority over reading for recreation. 

Nevertheless, I wanted to embark on a tale built for kid's in a world I could recognize with characters whom I had seen in Walt Disney's adaptation several years before. Because hey, we could all give ourselves a little slack every now and then.

I walked across to where her title was on the lowly shelf and just "knew" it was something to keep my reading fluency going strong. And I was right, as I was about to discover...

Like the "millions of fans" out there, I'd seen Disney's adaptation of Travers' world years before, with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in the lead roles. While in the actual aisle of the library shelves, I vaguely recalled parts of the film. However, like any good reader, I suppose, I wanted to read more into the character's themselves to figure out their motives, their instincts through the plot and all I could by reading the first of Travers' many tales of her beloved Mary Poppins.

No more than about a week after I registered her to my name, I took her on a little weekend getaway, for business and pleasure. I know, again. 'He's taking a checked out children's book on a weekend getaway? To actually read?' Yeah, I don't get out much; not as much as I would probably like, anyway. 

The first 5 to 10 pages took my mind a while to lock into. These were the introduction phases of the Banks family: Mr. and Mrs. Banks; Jane and Michael and the newborn twins; the household staff of the two maids, the garden keeper and the pets were all apart of "welcome" to Cherry Tree Lane. It was also in those pages that I caught on to Travers' writing style and prose. The way she included the dialogue of the characters and the narrative of the home, yards, and streets were enough to keep the reader flowing in the story as well as engaged with her creativity. Her voice was very much English. And it wasn't until the creative introduction of her beloved Mary Poppins that the story really seemed to pick up. Not just for her introduction but the way the reader could tell the story was about to unfold in miraculous ways did her welcome take center stage.

For those unfamiliar with the story itself, don't worry. The legit of what you need to know is basically that: a magical nanny comes to tend to the children while Father goes to his job in the city and the household staff carries out their duties, with Mother plays her role of mom and wife. It begs the question of how the children are kept occupied while all the adults are busy doing whatever their adult lives and duties demand. 

The true genius of the rest of the 250 or so pages, maybe more (I can't remember as I read it earlier this summer but have been mentally preoccupied since), was the sheer creativity involved. There were incidents here and there, evolving around common folk neighborly people and unique people thrust into little worlds where one scene led to another with the churn of different words and passages. Where any one of us easily looks into a mirror in an ordinary house or room, Travers used as a sort of portal & gate to her other worlds where simple things became magnificent. And enchanting. And as illustrious as imagination can get when it comes to worlds created around children and wherever the imagination carries it. Outdoor parks were grounds for much grander spectacles. Animals talked to the children as if they were all best friends. And ordinary clothes became closets for all sorts of gadgets and shelf drawers. Really, it was a wonderful tale of creative, childlike imagination built to capture the wonders and joy of two little children needing someone.

Upon reading, you'll find it set in London in the late 20th Century, the family that made Cherry Tree Lane infamous was also the same one that helped fuel the inspiration for Mary herself. She was needed by the family, in ways beyond just the "taking care of" fashion. She was the hole that was left when the family needed her most. And it wasn't just for a story. It was for a person in need of the same kind of love that her beloved Nanny brought to her own world.

And we find through the tales and adventures abundant that Mary Poppins is the one we can all go to when we need someone to laugh with, cry with and confide with. Thus, if you ask me, 'was it worth it reading a book designed for young kids when you're a grown man of 30?' In this case, yes, friends. This was one occasion, of a series of occasions, where the experience of living in the world of Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins was one worth taking. 

"Come on! Let's go fly a kite...!"