GranJan Reads

Mary Poppins

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The first in a series of eight books, "Mary Poppins" by P.L. Travers was published in 1934.  

According to Wikipedia, Chapter Six, "Bad Tuesday," was rewritten twice:  

  • The original story in the 1934 edition contained a variety of cultural and ethnic types of Chinese, Native Alaskan or Inuit, sub-Saharan Africans, and Native Americans. Travers responded to criticism by revising the chapter twice. A 1967 revision removed offensive words and stereotypical descriptions and dialogue, but kept the plot of visiting foreign people, and retained drawings of ethnic stereotypes standing at the compass-points. In 1981 a second revision replaced people with animals; original illustrator Mary Shepard altered the four compass points in the accompanying drawing to show a polar bear at the north, a macaw at the south, a panda at the east, and a dolphin at the west.  Mary Poppins had been banned from circulation in the San Francisco Public Library system in 1980 due to the negative stereotyping.

    • The edition I am reading is the one I received as a Christmas gift in 1959 (I was seven).  Skip chapter 6 if you think you'll be offended by the original.

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    GranJan ReadsBy Janet Eldredge
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