Mary Carey (1) (1925–1994)

A patronizing and preachy little book that tells us how to be happy and healthy by not overeating, keeping a tidy appearance, getting fresh air and exercise, and cheering up others. Simplistic and not fun to read.

I see several bookstores around the internet attributing this book to Mary Carey, but I do not see her name in my 1990 edition of the book or any of the editions whose title pages are available to view on the internet. I'd be interested in knowing if there is some edition that does show more have her name or how she came to be associated with the book.

(My Pooh Project: I love Winnie the Pooh, and so does my wife. Having a daughter gave us a chance to indoctrinate her into the cult by buying and reading her every Pooh book we came across. How many is that? I’m going to count them this year by reading and reviewing one every day and seeing which month I finally run out. Track my progress here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/23954351-rod-brown?ref=nav_mybooks&she... ) show less

Summary:
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 60 or so years you would know Mary Poppins is about the nanny Mary Poppins, who takes the Banks children on whimsical adventures. The book starts off with the Banks's nanny quitting after the children run off. After advertising for a new nanny, Mr. Banks hires Mary Poppins, who saw the advertisement his children made and fit the role perfectly. As their first interaction, the children, Jane and Michael, and their new nanny clean show more up their room in song. They later take a visit to the park, where they meet Bert, who is making chalk drawings. The group jumps into one and explores. When Mary is asked to find a piano tuner, they take a detour to help Uncle Albert stop laughing. The next day Michael singlehandedly crashes the bank by taking his tuppence back from the bank's leader, causing everyone to take their money out at once. Michael and Jane run away, only to be found by Bert, who is now a chimney sweep. Mary Poppins joins them and they dance along the rooftops until Admiral Boom opens fire on them with a cannon. The group retreats into the Banks's house and Bert gives Mr. Banks some advice. Mr. Banks is called to the bank and fired. The wind changes the next day, and that means it's time for Mary Poppins to go. She leaves the family to see them all flying the kite that Mr. Banks repaired.

My Thoughts:
As someone who has only seen the movie once or twice, this was a novel (get it?) way to experience the story of Mary Poppins. I do feel like it was just like watching the movie but very slowly. The songs weren't as great on paper, but if you know the tune it's a decent substitute. I like that Mr. Banks is introduced in the book as having full control over his household and life, but as the book progresses his control dwindles. It was a good redemption of his character at the end (albeit a strange one. Are we not gonna talk about how Mr. Banks kinda killed Mr. Dawes Senior with a joke?) and I think it was great to see the Banks family enjoying each other's company. I'm not sure if just watching the movie is better though. The book does go into more detail about what each character is doing than what the average person could observe in a single viewing. This was still a pretty fun book, 8/10, Mr. Banks actually killed someone. show less

On his way to Christopher Robin's to ask for more honey, Pooh is shamed by Gopher for not working to earn his own honey. The story drags on as Pooh's other friends then offer -- one after the other in turn -- their own unsuccessful ideas for getting honey out of the bee hive. Ho-hum.

And all for a weak moral about sticking to your own ideas and not trying to please everyone else.

(My Pooh Project: I love Winnie the Pooh, and so does my wife. Having a daughter gave us a chance to indoctrinate show more her into the cult by buying and reading her every Pooh book we came across. How many is that? I’m going to count them this year by reading and reviewing one every day and seeing which month I finally run out. Track my progress here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/23954351-rod-brown?ref=nav_mybooks&she... ) show less

The Sword in the Stone is a classic Disney movie that explicitly connects the importance of physical strength (knighthood) with intelligence and the power of each. It's rare to find that quality in a Disney movie. Young girls may not find this movie particularly engaging as the only female character is a crazy old witch. However, the emphasis on reading and building an intelligence is a nice departure from the Disney norm.