Also by P.L. Travers: Mary Poppins: Three Enchanting Classics Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story by P.L. Travers, illustrated by Mary Shepard Ages 9-12 88 pages Harcourt October 2006 Hardcover     As Mary Poppins says, “There’s no cooking in sandwiches….” For one week, Mary Poppins and the Banks children will be taking over the kitchen at Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane. Mrs. Brill, the Banks’ real cook, must attend to a measles emergency. Monday through Saturday, extra help turns up in the Banks kitchen. Assistance comes in different ways, but the meals always turn out. Mrs. Corry helps out in the kitchen on Monday. She suggests the dessert for Monday’s roast beef meal - gingerbread stars - and she provides the magical golden stars. Topsy-turvy help arrives on Wednesday. Somehow they get the meal complete, even with head over heels diversions all around them. In remembrance of that day, Mary Poppins changes the name of the upside-down cake to the Topsy-Turvy cake. Mary Poppins and the children picnic outside on Thursday with musical Mr. Twigley. The Bird Woman supplies herbs and crumbs for Friday’s meal. The week of cooking comes to an end on Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Banks are hungry when they arrive back at the house. They ask for a cheese sandwich and boiled eggs from Mary Poppins; what they get instead amazes them. The kitchen was obviously in good hands for the week. However, when Mrs. Brill the cook comes back, she hopefully won’t notice she’s down one apron. The meals enjoyed in the story can be made in your own kitchen. The recipes are all listed in the second half of the book. There is a recipe for every letter of the alphabet, from Apple Charlotte, to Zodiac Cake. Mary Poppins offers up serving suggestions in a few of the recipes. In addition, recipes like Date Bread and Easter Cake, which are not mentioned in the story, are included. The Kings’ or Twelfth Night Cake recipe contains 1 dried bean. And, as Mary Poppins states “….the bean is there for a purpose…” See Mary Poppins and the Banks family in color. Leave the present by letting the illustrations take your mind back to times past; Mary Shepard’s illustrations honor the style and grace of Mary Poppins. Homemade cooking never felt or sounded so good. P.L. Travers has created a woman not to be missed, and with this redesigned book, Mary Poppins can remain with us.       web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)