Shepard was born in Sussex on Christmas Day in 1909, the only daughter of Florence Chaplin, a painter, and E.H. Shepard, who illustrated Winnie the Pooh and the Wind in the Willows. Her mother died suddenly in 1927, and that same year Mary was accepted into the Slade School of Art where she studied painting and drawing. Her voyage to England gave her the inspiration for a series of several travel articles that she sold to Australian publications, boosting her finances to continue her pursuit as a writer.

Rochlin, Margy (2013-12-06). "A Spoonful of Sugar for a Sourpuss: Songwriter Recalls P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins Author". The New York Times . Retrieved 2015-05-14. Bird Woman: An old woman who sits on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral and feeds the birds. She sells bags of crumbs to passers-by for tuppence a bag. Her catch-phrase is 'feed the birds, tuppence a bag'. She appears a few times throughout the books and is good friends with Mary. It is later revealed that she is the mother of the Park Keeper and her real name is Mrs. Smith. She appears in the 1964 film played by Jane Darwell (in her final film appearance) and is the subject of the song " Feed the Birds" sung by Poppins. She also plays a similar role in the musical, where she sings the song "Feed the Birds" as a duet with Mary. Mary Poppins comes to the rescue when the Banks's family cook goes on an unexpected leave, teaching the young Banks children the basics of cooking in the process. The book includes recipes. Goff was born in Maryborough, Queensland, and grew up in the Australian bush before being sent to boarding school in Sydney. Her writing was first published when she was a teenager, and she also worked briefly as a professional Shakespearean actress. Upon immigrating to England at the age of 25, she took the name "Pamela Lyndon Travers" and adopted the pen name P. L. Travers in 1933 while writing the first of eight Mary Poppins books.In 2018, a crater on the planet Mercury was named in her honour. [53] Works [ edit ] Books [ edit ] Prime Minister: The British Prime Minister, who often appears in scenes alongside the Park Keeper and the Mayor. Mary Poppins is a protagonist novel character in a series of children’s books with the same name by P.L Travers who uses magical touch to teach the banks children valuable lessons. She comes in with the East wind and gets to Number seventeen Cherry Tree Lane to Banks home where she is given the responsibility of taking care of the Banks children. She is identified by her trend of wearing a hat and a parrot umbrella that she never leaves behind. She is tender and caring to the children but can be tough and stern if need be. The novel portrays her as practically perfect woman; tall, slender, short haired snub nose with large blue eyes and a pursed nose. The film portrays her as a gracious and elegant young woman a character that is portrayed by Julie Andrews who Travers first thought was too attractive for the role but later accepted after meeting het in person.

Travers had a very rich fantasy life. She had a vivid imagination. She loved the animals and the fairy tales. Sometimes, she used to call herself a hen. She developed the habit of reading at a very young age. She used to read YB Yeats as her bedtime story. She was a admirer of the author, J.M Barrie, who created the character Peter Pan.The title of the film Saving Mr. Banks (as explained in dialogue at the film's climax) arises from the interpretation that Mary Poppins is actually not there to save the children, but to save their father. The film surmises that P.L. Travers wrote the Mary Poppins novels as a form of atonement for her inability as a child to save her own father from his own flaws. This theme of fatherly salvation notably formed the basis of the major dramatic moments in the 1964 film, including the climax involving Mr Banks's sombre nighttime walk through London. Shepard was a talented artist who also illustrated Ruth Manning-Sanders’ Adventure May be Anywhere (1939) and A. A. Milne’s Prince Rabbit and The Princess Who Could Not Laugh (1966). Later add-ons were Mary Poppins From A to Z(1962), Mary Poppins in the Kitchen(1975), Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane(1982), and finally, Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (1988).