An unforgettable character if there ever was one, Mary Poppins made her first appearance in this 1934 novel for readers 4 to 12. As in the Disney film, Mary Poppins does indeed arrive on the East Wind under an umbrella, and visits tea parties on the ceiling and sidewalk chalk paintings; but here, Mary is rather more brash and no-nonsense. In these adventures, the uncanny nanny introduces young Jane and Michael to the Bird Woman, and accompanied by a star from the Pleiades, they go on a unique Christmas shopping excursion.