• Mary Poppins

  • The Mary Poppins Series, Book 1
  • By: P. L. Travers
  • Narrated by: Sophie Thompson
  • Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (3,230 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Mary Poppins  By  cover art

Mary Poppins

By: P. L. Travers
Narrated by: Sophie Thompson
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.22

Buy for $13.22

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Here is the timeless story of Mary Poppins, the world's favorite nanny, and her magical adventures with the Banks family.

Mary Poppins is like no other nanny the Banks children have ever seen. It all starts when their new nanny is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house, carrying a parrot-headed umbrella and a magic carpetbag. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial? A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe come to life!

An Audible for Dogs Pick: Make your dog's day. Cesar Millan shares how audiobooks can make dogs happier and calmer. Learn more.
©1981 P.L. Travers (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Featured Article: The Best Family Audiobooks for All Ages


Sharing stories with your family can leave a lasting impression. As a parent, you probably remember the magic of having a book read aloud to you as a kid, and family audiobooks offer that same experience for your own children. Whether you’re looking to help increase literacy or discover the joy of group listening, our list has some of the best family audiobooks, from best sellers to newcomer favorites. Here are the best family audiobooks.

What listeners say about Mary Poppins

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,043
  • 4 Stars
    673
  • 3 Stars
    338
  • 2 Stars
    90
  • 1 Stars
    86
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,998
  • 4 Stars
    427
  • 3 Stars
    184
  • 2 Stars
    58
  • 1 Stars
    42
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,666
  • 4 Stars
    577
  • 3 Stars
    310
  • 2 Stars
    77
  • 1 Stars
    70

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Why Did I Wait So Long?

Sometimes I wonder at myself. Do I really need further evidence that the movie is never as good as the book? I must have seen the Disney movie at least a dozen times, so I put off listening to this, feeling I had a fairly good idea of the story and characters. I finally scraped the bottom of the barrel of new books in my library, so I started this short listen.

My first thought on listening to this book? I WAS CHEATED! Yes, that's right. Cheated! My mother failed me deeply in never reading this book to me when I was young, and what's worse, I cheated my own daughter. Beautiful, whimsical writing, characters so unique and moving, not introduced in the movie, overall it's just a gorgeous story. The writing, I can't describe it, but it deserves a "Dao of Mary Poppins" adaptation.

Thompson's narration does nothing but add to the experience of this book. Her vocalizations for the different characters are fantastic! I wish so much that I could go back in time and read this to myself as a child. It's a book to make grown ups think and to remember being children, and a book to make children dream.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

69 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Magical With An Edge....Book vs Movie

I know this sounds odd but I've found myself thinking about the book Mary Poppins recently. I think it's because I had a negative surprise with a collection of PL Travers short stories that I bought here on audible at Christmas time. I thought the stories might be fun holiday season short listens. They were a disappointment because not only were they not about Christmas they also had a strange flavor, tone and mood.

I was perplexed and wondered if I had misremembered the book Mary Poppins. It's often hard if you read the book and then see the movie of the book to keep them straight. I thought about the possibility that my memories of Mary Poppins were disneyized and not based on Travers' actual writing. As luck would have it Kindle Unlimited with Audible narration had a copy available to borrow. So I listened and wow was I surprised.

Without a doubt the PL Travers Mary Poppins was definitely filled with wonder and magic. To me, it was not at all the sticky sweet magic from the movie but a darker and even a little nervous making kind of scary magic. Mary was surprisingly vain and quick to anger or tease the children. Many stories from the book had been left out of the movie version and teetered so far on the edge that I could see why they had been omitted.

I actually think that children of today might like the book version better than the movie. There are so many book series out there now trying to capture just what PL Travers accomplished in the 1930s. There was a strong feeling of the time captured in the book. So much so that it felt like historic fiction with a fun and wacky edge. However, do be aware that for young children the book might be a bit too much.

I'm glad I rediscovered the real Mary Poppins and think that in this case the book wins over the movie.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

62 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful! - Excellent Narration

I was so curious about this book after watching Walt Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks" and of course "Mary Poppins!" The other reviews made me even more curious. First of all, I have to say that the narration by Sophie Thompson is out of this world. She flows from voice to voice so easily and perfectly that you would never realize it was one person.Excellent job -- in fact "practically perfect in every way!" It is true that Mary Poppins is cross and mean at times, but the fun and caring for the children still comes through. I'm not sure I'll go forward with the rest of the series, but this one was delightful. Can't wait to listen with my husband on our next road trip. Oh, and if you are the movie fan, you won't be disappointed as this book does include at least 3 of the familiar stories from the movie. No spoilers though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

For a change the movie is better than the book

I got kind of caught up in the Mary Poppins thing after enjoying "Saving Mr. Banks" with my college-age children. So I figured why not see what the book is all about. Now granted I did not spend time reading deeply into the characters, but I found Mary to be mean. Yes, she is providing the kids with lots of fun and exciting experiences, but she is not always nice to them. Not even in a stern, British, Elizabethan manner, just kind of mean. If you are a movie fan then you will enjoy items from the movies (no singing!).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Timeless and Magical

I haven't read Mary Poppins since I was a child, so I picked up this audiobook for a trip down memory lane. This book should be read and enjoyed completely separate from the movie version with the sparkling-eyed Julie Andrews. It's a series of short stories about the adventures of Mary Poppins and the four Banks children, there's no character development or plot. It would be perfect for bedtime reading.

The book version of Mary Poppins can be vain and cross, and she constantly gaslights those poor children. She shines most in the scenes when she's away from Jane and Michael, when she's meeting with Burt or recounting the adventures of the dancing cow. My favorite chapter is the magical vignette with the twins John and Barbara and the Starling. I really enjoyed the narration, I thought Sophie Thompson's voice was special and just perfect for this audio.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Screechy with revelations

Was interesting to listen to this version as I had only seen the Disney film & never read the book. Mary is a bit darker here, but still well liked by the children. The narrator has great enunciation, however, she made several of the characters (birds, Annie & Fannie's mother) sound like screechy witches, which I found a bit irritating.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration!

Would you listen to Mary Poppins again? Why?

Absolutely! It's a great story, and the narrator is fabulous! She does way more than just read the story - she actually acts it out, which makes for a really interesting listen.

What other book might you compare Mary Poppins to and why?

Little Women. Like Mary Poppins, it has children as main characters and clear morals to each tale.

Which character – as performed by Sophie Thompson – was your favorite?

That's a toughie, but the panda voice was among my favorites.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Timeless story

Quite enjoyable and I understand why this story captivated Walt Disney and countless little children. As with any book-to-movie, there is more in the book...who knew Jane and Michael and twin siblings? Travers' imagination was strong and the story of Mary Poppins, and her impact on the Banks family is still valuable today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • jm
  • 01-21-14

boring

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

the guy reading the book was monotone.( to say the least!) After one paragraph my eight yr
old was no longer interested in it. she said he read too slow for her & she likes reading for herself. I don't blame her after that introduction. people don't waste your time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Such fun!!!

I cannot remember the last time that I enjoyed a book this much! Yes, it is different than the Disney movie, (Dick VanDyke would have gotten much less screen time with this version), but the book is full of delightful stories and Sophie Thompson makes them come alive. Seriously, I listen to this as I'm walking and I see everything that takes place as if I'm there. She is, by far, the best narrator that I have listened to as of yet. I am 59 years old, and Mary Poppins makes me feel as though I'm a kid again!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful