Travers, Illustrated by Mary Shepard, 1952. THE NANNY MARY POPPINS Mary Poppins as illustrated by Mary Shepard Mary Poppins in the Park, P. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series is a middle grade example Jane by April Lindner is a YA example of stories set in big, mysterious houses with strange goings-on. New nanny stories often have Edwardian or Victorian settings.These stories are a great way to put a middle-class or poor girl in with wacky rich people, a storytelling trick which is always ripe for conflict. While books for middle grade tend to be of the Mary Poppins type, young adult literature includes stories in which the young person (woman) herself is the nanny: Nanny X by Madelyn Rosenberg, Confessions of a Teen Nanny by Victoria Ashton and The Nannies series by Melody Mayer are some examples.Therefore, nanny stories have something in common with traditional Westerns. The magical nanny who arrives at the door, fixes the family’s problems then leaves is known as the Blow-in Saviour Trope.But there is still a character arc whereby the children become better behaved (or more morally upstanding) by the end of the story. The plots tend to be episodic rather than dramatic, with each day bringing a new adventure which is over and solved by bedtime.Nanny stories of the old-fashioned kind, set in large houses, are probably from an earlier era such as the Edwardian.The children are at least upper middle class.The nanny sees right through the children and although she may have a harsh exterior, has a heart of gold.

The children are highly spirited tricksters.

The nanny might be actually magic, or seems to work magic due to being a ‘child whisperer’.

The parents are colourless and unremarkable except for their utter cluelessness.

What was the reason for nannies wearing black, do you think? Was it designed to not show up the lady of the house, in turn to wear fashionable colours? Was it a sign that she was unavailable as a sexual partner, same as a widow in mourning? Was it meant to render her invisible? COMMON FEATURES OF STORIES WITH NANNIES You can see examples of this dress code in children’s illustrations. In the nursery, the nanny wore a white or grey cotton print dress and apron and, when out walking with the children, was permitted a black, navy or dark plum coat and a black straw bonnet. There was a dress code.Īccording to Life Below Stairs: True Lives of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney, Edwardian nannies dressed like this:

What is the difference between nannies and nurses? How do you pick the nanny in the illustrations of books for children? It’s easy for English stories.

The nannies by melody mayer