Lauren Child's talks about bringing Mary Poppins back to life

Emily Blunt may be bringing a new Mary Poppins to the big screen, but in the eyes of author-illustrator and children's laureate Lauren Child, Julie Andrews will always be the nation's favourite nanny.

The original film, released in 1964 and being shown on BBC One on Christmas Eve, was in her mind when she was illustrating the latest hardback edition of Mary Poppins by PL Travers.

It sees the quirky, eccentric and magical character brought back to life on the page in a pink and orange spotty dress, flying above London rooftops, clutching her flowered bag and green umbrella.

"As an illustrator, you have a duty to look at what it is the author is trying to say and be true to their vision. The only thing I felt that I really changed from her description is Mary Poppins herself, because I just couldn't imagine doing her any other way than as Julie Andrews," says Child.

As a youngster herself, Child recalls being taken to see the original Disney film on her first outing to a cinema.

Now 53 - the award-winning creator of Charlie And Lola and accomplished novelist with her Clarice Bean stories and Ruby Redfort teen detective series - hasn't yet seen Mary Poppins Returns but is looking forward to taking her adopted daughter Tuesday, aged eight, to watch it.

And she has concerns that life for today's children is tough, forcing them to grow up 'too early'.
She explains: "They are so much more aware of what's going on in the world through the media, they understand much more of what's going on. Then there's the pressure of exams, which weigh very heavily on children.

"I think there's a point to having a joyful childhood - it makes you more robust and it makes you understand the world better. We are asking children to be grown up too early."

Exposure to social media and screens isn't going away, she reflects.

"There's a lot of talk about less screen time, but screens are there. I can't see them going away. We all use them. We say, 'My child watches too much', but what are we doing?

"You can't expect children not to be on these things, when we are all doing it. We are having to navigate our way through it too."

The author and illustrator says she tries to ensure her daughter has a balanced life.

"It's about encouraging her to do other things, rather than just be watching stuff. I loved watching television when I was little and it did me a lot of good in many ways. But it's just how much of it are you doing, and are you managing to do other things as well and have a more rounded impression of the world?

"When my daughter says to me, 'I want to make pancakes', I say OK, if I can. Sometimes I think, 'Oh my goodness, I really don't want to make some pancakes right now', but then I can't have it both ways. If I want her to be excited about cooking, I can't be a hypocrite by saying, 'No you can't'."

Might Mary Poppins be seen as old-fashioned by some younger audiences?

"Well, you could say Harry Potter's set in a strange boarding school and there's something quite old-fashioned about that. But people love entering other worlds. It doesn't matter. It's about the ideas and the quality of the storytelling.

"It is amazing that Mary Poppins is a household name around the world," she adds. "We may not know PL Travers' name so readily as, say, AA Milne, but she has created one of the most iconic children's characters."

Mary Poppins by PL Travers, illustrated by Lauren Child, is published by HarperCollins Children's Books, priced £20 and available now.

Mary Poppins Returns is released in cinemas on Friday, December 21. To learn more about where to see the film in Kent click here.