Saturday, August 25, 2012

Rereading Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L. Travers

It was one of those mornings when everything looks very neat and bright and shiny, as though the world had been tidied up overnight. In Cherry-Tree Lane the houses blinked as their blinds went up, and the thin shadows of the cherry-trees fell in dark stripes across the sunlight. But there was no sound anywhere, except for the tingling of the Ice Cream Man's bell as he wheeled his cart up and down.

Mary Poppins Comes Back is the second book about Mary Poppins. I wouldn't say it is quite as good as the first one; it lacks some of the newness and shine and surprise, but it is still enjoyable. Mary Poppins finally returns to Cherry-Tree Lane and everything is right again. She and Jane and Michael and the twins have more wild adventures, with a lot of quirky new characters introduced, such as Mr. Turvy, her cousin who does the opposite of what he wants to do on every Second Monday. Travers painted the world of Mary Poppins just as well, and I think the only reason that I like Mary Poppins better is (as I said), because it is more surprising (since it's the first book about her.) What is kind of odd though is that Jane and Michael are always vaguely surprised when Mary Poppins does something astonishing, like when she shows up at the gathering of Constellations, even though they've seen her do such things before. But I suppose you can never get used to something like that.

Read Mary Poppins Comes Back:
  • if you liked Mary Poppins (you really have to read Mary Poppins first to get this one)
312 pages.
 
Very Good! I would recommend this book!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Cleo,

    My name is Jennifer L. Fry. I recently published my debut young adult novel, A Part to Play, and I am hoping you will consider reviewing it for me on Amazon. I will send you the ebook in your preferred format if you decide to take this project on.

    Here is the back cover text:
    When fifteen-year-old actress Lucy Carter loses her older sister in a car accident, her mother shuts down and her father can’t hold the family together. Their only choice is to ship Lucy off to the Edmond School for Performing Arts. But boarding school is no cure for Lucy’s grief. With failing grades, wooden stage performances, and curfew violations, Lucy is threatened with expulsion. For the once talented Lucy, it feels as though she has nowhere to turn.

    One night, Lucy hears mysterious music drifting through the school’s old heating system. The music leads her to a troubled but passionate songwriter whose brilliance gives her the strength to perform like never before. Yet their intense relationship puts Lucy in a precarious position: if she follows her muse, will she lose herself? And if she breaks it off, can she stand on her own again?

    Thank you! I appreciate your time and consideration.

    Best,
    Jennifer
    www.jenniferlfry.com/home

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  2. Jennifer-
    If the book is available in print format (which, according to your website, it is), I'll be happy to read it. I seldom read ebooks, however, and I don't have a Kindle or equivalent device. What is your email address? I can email my home address to you, if a print edition is available.
    -Cleo

    ReplyDelete