MARY POPPINS AND THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

by P.L. Travers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1989

In a long, typical episode in the annals of the brisk nanny at Number Seventeen, Luti--a boy from the South Seas who has been pressed into the service of Miss Andrew, Mr. Banks' old governess (who will be remembered as a ""Holy Terror""), is sent magically home via the park, the moon, and some accommodating clouds. Number Eighteen has long stood empty, peopled only by the kindred spirits imagined by the other inhabitants of Cherry Tree Lane. Reality is harsher: when Miss Andrew moves in, consternation ensues. Mary Poppins, of course, takes a firm hand, first aiding her charges in their missions of friendship to Luti, then sending him on his way. The fierce, dream-ousting Miss Andrew gets poetic justice: she must read aloud to Admiral Boom's resident pirate (who gets to choose the stories) and also dance. Travers rings in an extraordinary number of familiar phrases and details from her earlier books, economically using them all to further her new story while coasting on previous caricatures. The setting is unchanged, even to the male Prime. Minister who comes personally to check up on the Park Keeper, and Mrs. Banks is as dithery and helpless as ever. But Mr. Banks is now a good deal less stiff--with an engaging tendency to empathize with his children and dream his own dreams; Michael takes a turn helping Mrs. Brill with the dishes; even Mary Poppins herself is a bit less astringent. Fans will enjoy this dividend to a classic series.

Pub Date: July 1, 1989

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1989

Categories: CHILDREN'S