Mary Poppins in the Park
by Dr. P. L. Travers
List Price:
Our Price: $7.28
You Save: $9.71 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.38 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Dr. P. L. TraversIllustrator: Mary Shepard
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-06-01
ISBN: 0152058281
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Book Reviews of Mary Poppins in the Park
Book Review: A readable book that highlights the weakness of a great series
Summary: 3 Stars
The Mary Poppins books have delighted multiple generations, but P.L. Travers does have her detractors. While Mary Poppins is arguably one of the greatest juvenile-literature characters of the 20th century, more engaging and unique than any of the main characters in the Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings and Wizard of Oz series, the books themselves are put together rather poorly, and have little flow or character development.
Although the three Mary Poppins novels (Marry Poppins, Marry Poppins Comes Back, Marry Poppins Opens the Door) each present a story that takes place over a certain period of time, the characters basically remain the same as they were five minutes after Mary Poppins arrives, and the novels are more or less series of marginally-related and somewhat-repetitive adventures. Mary Poppins in the Park epitomizes those weaknesses.
Throughout the series, most of the magical adventures take place at night; at a magical place or business that disappears after the escapade is over; or at the park. The stories that take place outside the Banks house follow the same formula. The children pay some sort of fee: a pin (as some say, representative of the prick of a syringe), sticking a threepence on the gingerbread woman's coat, a wish, the dropped shilling in the "Lucky Thursday" story, or "Feed the Birds! Twopence a bag!" The children then meet a special character, often related to a book or item from the nursery (again, perhaps representative of a drug-fueled obsession over an everyday object). There is a moral message in each story, and that message and its effect on the children's lives is what continues to make the stories memorable, even in a less-than-stellar outing like Mary Poppins in the Park. The children often walk away with a special token of their journey to remind them that it really happened, but Mary Poppins always insists that it doesn't. Sometimes, the entire incident is forgotten by everyone involved.
Mary Poppins in the Park consists of six short stories of various literary quality. A couple of them simply aren't good, going on forever like a bad Saturday Night Live skit. Sure, it's John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, but they're just buzzing around, acting like bees. There's also a critical lack of Mary Poppins and her magic in the stories. There's too much focus on Michael and Jane, and the situations they get in. Moreover, instead of a variety of supporting characters, the Park Keeper - one of the more uninteresting and prosaic minor characters in the series - appears in every story, telling people not to litter or disobey the rules of the park, and generally playing a pedestrian straight-man to unicorns, Lilliputians and Mary Poppins's icy stares.
While Mary Poppins in the Park lacks the joy of Mary Poppins's arrival and the despair of her departure that were featured in its three predecessors, it climaxes in the usual magical celebration of the last chapter, "Hallowe'en." This story, along with "The Faithful Friends," almost makes up for the rest of the book's difficulties. The mystery of the Bird Woman is examined, and a number of other characters make their return. While "Hallowe'en" isn't the best story in the book, it provides a much-needed connection to the rest of the Mary Poppins franchise. An unfortunate aspect of the story is a racially insensitive comment Mary Poppins makes, chastising the children for looking unkept, like "golliwogs." This, combined with the racial stereotypes of the original version of the "Bad Tuesday" chapter of Mary Poppins, has caused some libraries to stop stocking the Mary Poppins books, which is a shame, since they are an enjoyable and memorable contribution to English children's literature.
Literature Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature Books
A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Catby John Archambault, Bill, Jr. Martin
HarperCollins Publishers; Published: 2000-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.95
Racso and the Rats of NIMHby Jane Leslie Conly
HarperCollins Publishers; Published: 1986-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $48.99
Goodnight Moonby Margaret Wise Brown
HarperCollins; Published: 1947-09-03; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $84.72
A Fine, Fine Schoolby Sharon Creech
HarperCollins; Published: 2003-12-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.45
Price in other shops:
Listening for Lionsby Gloria Whelan
HarperCollins; Published: 2006-10-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.59
Price in other shops:
Ruby Hollerby Sharon Creech
HarperCollins; Published: 2003-12-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
The Winnie-the-Poohby A.A. Milne
HarperFestival; Published: 2003-09-23; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
Christmas in the Barnby Margaret Wise Brown
HarperCollins; Published: 2007-10-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Whipping Boyby Sid Fleischman
Harper Collins Publishers; Greenwillow Books; Published: 2003-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
FOX IN SOCKS - A Tongue Twister for Super Childrenby DR SEUSS
Collins & Harvill Press; Published: 1966; Hardcover; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
A Lively Oracle: A Centennial Celebration of P.L. Travers, Magical Creator of Mary Poppinsby Ellen Dooling Draper
Larson Publications; Published: 1999-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.54
Price in other shops:
Peter Pan (100th Anniversary Edition)by J. M. Barrie
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); Published: 2003-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.21
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins (Odyssey Classics)by Dr. P. L. Travers
Houghton Mifflin Company; Sandpiper; Published: 1997-09-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.46
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Comes Backby Dr. P. L. Travers
Harcourt Children's Books; Published: 2007-03-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.72
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Storyby Dr. P. L. Travers
Houghton Mifflin Company; Harcourt Children's Books; Published: 2006-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins from A to Zby Dr. P. L. Travers
Harcourt Children's Books; Published: 2006-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins Opens the Doorby Dr. P. L. Travers
Harcourt Children's Books; Published: 2006-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.32
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins: Three Enchanting Classics: Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Comes Back, and Mary Poppins Opens the Doorby Dr. P. L. Travers
Houghton Mifflin Company; Sandpiper; Published: 2006-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.76
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppins Comes Backby Dr. P. L. Travers
Harcourt Children's Books; Published: 2006-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.54
Price in other shops:
Mary Poppinsby Dr. P. L. Travers
Harcourt Children's Books; Harcourt Children's Books; Published: 2006-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.33
Price in other shops: