Mary Poppins by PL Travers

Hardcover, 224 pages, Audio- 3 hrs 47 minsPublished June 1st 2006 by Harcourt Children's Books (first published 1934)ISBN    0152058109

Audio Read by: Sophie Thompson

Genre: Children's, Fantasy

New or Re-Read: New!

Series: Apparently there is more when Mary Poppin's Returns

Where I heard about it: London Olympic Opening Ceremony or Disney

Why I read it: See below

Setting/Time frame: England 1930s

Spoilers?  Maybe a few if you have lived under a rock for the last century.

::Slowly applauds::
It's hard not to be familiar with the story of Michael and Jane Banks and the time they spent with the most infamous of nanny's that ever graced England, Mary Poppins. However most people (or maybe just me)are only familiar with the Disney version of Mary Poppins, and were unaware of the fact that they lived first in PL Travers story of the same name. It wasn't until I was watching the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics and the stadium filled with Mary Poppin's ready to take on Voldemort that I realised the error in my ways and had to take matters into my own hands. 
I tracked down an audio version of this story, because if it's meant to be in Britain, than I never turned down the opportunity to have someone with an accent read it to me. It really brings the story to life so much more than the British accent in my head....but I digress.

I was surprised (although I am not sure why)at the difference between the movie and the original story. Don't get me wrong, there were portions that were pretty straight forward going from the book to the movie, where not a whole lot (that I can remember, having not seen the movie in years), was changed. However the biggest difference that I have to comment on, was that Mary Poppins was not the nice sweet woman that Julie Andrews led me to believe she was. She was mean. She was pretty into herself, always stopping to look at her reflection in store windows, much to Michael and Jane's chagrin. She NEVER answered any of their questions and usually yelled at them for making stuff up, even though there was proof right in front of their faces. 
It's a very strange world that Michael and Jane live in. What with talking animals and floating tea parties (although I would totally be up for a floating tea party). However it was refreshing. The book is basically a bunch of stories lined up in chapters. They make you think, and wonder and question, and leave you wondering still. There is some lessons to be learned in some of the stories, but I think a lot of them are lost in the wonderment of "what just happened". I can only imagine that if I had read this book as a child, I probably would have loved this story even more than I do now. 
I think two of my favourite things about the story were a) Andrew the dog. That was a funny funny story. b)The twins chapter. That's right, in this world, Michael and Jane have a younger brother and sister, John and Barbara. They are still young, not yet teething, which is what this story is about. You get to see them communicating with each other, Mary, the wind and a bird. You learn that until we teeth, babies are able to understand all languages. It was whimsical, wonderful and a little bit sad. 
The only complaint I have is that apparently Burt of the Disney production, seems to be mostly made up by Disney. He does have a place in the story, as a match man, who draws pictures, but his role is very secondary and we don't really get to know him like we do in the movie. Very disappointing.