Mary Poppins Comes Back inscribed by the author) First UK, jacket, first issue by Travers, P. L - 1935

Mary Poppins Comes Back

(Mary Poppins Returns)

P. L. Travers

London: Lovat Dickson & Thompson Limited, 1935

Hardcover in original cloth stamped in green on the front board and spine. 8vo, 303 pages with original illustrated by Mary Shepard and with the rare original dust jacket. First edition, first issue. This book has been inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper in period blue fountain pen ink. The book is the second of the eight Mary Poppins book to be published written by P. L. Travers. (The first book, Mary Poppins, being published in England a year previously.) There is a small minor dent to the side of the spine under the s of the author s name and a very minor cloth crack on the bottom edge of the front board which is barely worth the mention. Overall the boards and spine are bright with nice green imprinting. Very uncommon to find in this condition. The top page edges are stained a dark red as issued by the publisher. The interior endpapers are unbroken and the pages are nice without soil or foxing. On page 66 and 67 there are two small pieces lacking in the upper right corners of the pages near the page signatures. This does not affect any text and this seems to have been of a bindery origin or paper snag from when the book was printed, as I have examined page 67. Also this book was taken care of by a previous owner. The book is square and solid without any loose signatures. It would be extremely uncommon to find this rare first issue book in such nice condition. Only a handful of these exist like this in a dust jacket. The original dust jacket has not been restored or needed as shown. No tape and no glue on the front or verso of the dust jacket. There are spine chips to the top and bottom of the jacket spine as shown. The spine of the dust jacket is a bit darkened. The top chip affects the tip of the M in the word Mary and the bottom chip affects a portion of the publisher s name. There are few closed tears and chipping to the corners and upper left corner of the front panel. The dust jacket is not price-clipped and has the 5s. net at the bottom of the front jacket panel. The dust jacket will be enclosed in a removable Mylar jacket protector. The front free endpaper is inscribed and signed to a person who helped her with Mary Poppins. Probably a friend who helped he the first book published. My research time is limited so I did not exhaust all my avenues of information. Usually one sees only a P. L. Travers signature in her signed books. However, this particular copy makes a strong reference to her famous character, Mary Poppins. This written in an inscription in a first English edition of an early Mary Poppins book upgrades the collectability. Mary Poppins is embedded in our western culture and is right up there with other characters such as Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Prince, Dorothy of Oz, Winnie The Pooh, and others. In its own right, this second book in the Mary Poppins series to encounter in a first issue is very scarce and even more so to encounter a signed copy in its original 1935 dust jacket. Arguably this is the rarest Mary Poppins book to encounter in an English first edition especially in a dust jacket. Certainly, not many of these exist. If more photos are needed or if other questions, please let me know and I ll be very happy to provide what is needed. About the character Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins books: The Mary Poppins books center on the magical English nanny Mary Poppins, who is blown by the East wind to Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane, London, and into the Banks' household to care for their children. Encounters with pavement painters and shopkeepers, and various adventures ensue until Mary Poppins abruptly leaves.