Lines of Enchantment: Mary Shepard's Visual Interpretation of Mary Poppins.

Although P. L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, is quite well known, Mary Shepard, the illustrator of the original series of books, has not received the same attention. This article seeks to provide important insights into Mary Shepard's visual interpretation of the character of Mary Poppins and the impact of her relationship with P. L. Travers across the original series of eight books published between 1934 and 1988. Her commitment to the character of Mary Poppins remained constant throughout her 54-year professional relationship with P. L. Travers. Shepard's artistic ability was evident in the way she visually interpreted the stories written by Travers, particularly in relation to the complex metaphysical aspects associated with the character of Mary Poppins. The four stages of group formation, Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing, proposed by Tuckman (1965) and a final stage, Adjourning, after modification of the model (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) provided an analytical lens to explore this partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]