kids. But a good nanny or sensible governess, in fiction at least, watches over the children all the time — whether they initially like it or not — and is always there for them. Depending on her skills and personality, she can be a source of comfort, order, education and even enchantment for the entire family. Here are some of fiction’s most notable caretakers, listed alphabetically by the characters’ first names.
1. Mary Poppins: Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers, 1934 – Mary Poppins is the quintessential nanny (or perhaps sorceress) of all nannies. Blown by the “East Wind” to the house where Jane and Michael Banks live with their parents, she is strict, confident and totally in charge, but occasionally shows glimpses of gentleness as she introduces the children to all kinds of magical people, creatures and stories hiding just under the surface of ordinary life in London. ONLINE DETAILS
EXCERPT: MARY POPPINS:
Then the shape, tossed and bent under the wind, lifted the latch of the gate, and they could see that it belonged to a woman, who was holding her hat on with one hand and carrying a bag in the other. As they watched, Jane and Michael saw a curious thing happen. As soon as the shape was inside the gate the wind seemed to catch her up into the air and fling her at the house. It was thought it had flung her first at the gate, waited for her to open it, and then had lifted and thrown her, bag and all, at the front door. The watching children heard a terrific bang, and as she landed the whole house shook.
2. Miss Penelope Lumley: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, Jon Klassen (illustrator), 2010 – There’s nothing ordinary about the Incorrigible children or their governess, yet they are a perfect match. Find out if Miss Penelope Lumley can teach Alexander, Cassiopeia and Beowulf the civilities of everyday life. Full of mysterious adventure, the story helps you discover how these wild children, found running through the forests, came to live at Ashton Place. Can the young governess help them become socially adept in time for Lady Constance’s ball? The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place:
Book 1: The Mysterious Howling is smart and funny and makes you want more. ONLINE DETAILS
3. Nanny: Eloise by Kay Thompson, Hilary Knight (illustrator), 1955 – Eloise is an enterprising child who lives in New York’s Plaza Hotel with her pet pug and turtle and Nanny, who takes care of her; Eloise’s glamorous mother always seems to be traveling, and her father is never mentioned (perhaps he fled when he saw what he had created). Here’s how Eloise describes her caretaker: “Nanny is my nurse / She wears tissue paper in her dress and you can hear it / She is English and has 8 hairpins made out of bones / She says that’s all she needs in this life for Lord’s sake.” The hair-raising yet delightful picture book will convince the entire family that this nanny is in fact a tolerant saint. Eloise is quite timeless and perfect for all ages. ONLINE DETAILS 4. Nanny: The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry, 2010 – Perfect for slightly older children with wicked
senses of humor, Lowry’s story depicts the misadventures of the Willoughby children, whose Nanny seems quite hateful at first, but turns out to be just what Timothy, Jane, Barnaby A and Barnaby B really need. The Willoughbys is an entertaining story that pays homage to Mary Poppins and many other classic children’s tales. ONLINE DETAILS
5. Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler: The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, 1957 – This book is really about those dotted dogs (Pongo, Perdita and their scores of puppies), yet two nannies are a critical part of the household. Nanny Cook is Mrs. Dearly’s old nanny and Nanny Butler is Mr.
Dearly’s old nanny; with their charges now parents and all grown up, the nannies stay on as cook and butler. ONLINE DETAILS
6. Nanny Piggins: The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R. A. Spratt, Dan Santat (illustrator), 2010 – Nanny Piggins, who just happens to be a very common pink pig, shows up answering Mr.
Green’s ad. Perfect in many other ways, Nanny Piggins is a sassy, well-adorned chocolate lover of a pig who lovingly takes the children on one adventure after another. ONLINE DETAILS
7. Nurse Matilda, a.k.a. Nanny McPhee: Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand, 1964 – The story of Nurse Matilda and her charges begins as follows: “Once upon a time there was a huge family of children; and they were terribly, terribly naughty.” There are so many kids that the author doesn’t bother trying to list them all at once. Luckily, Nurse Matilda is a match for them and for all the chaos they create — remarkable things happen when she thumps her big black stick on the floor.
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8. Ole Golly: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, 1964 – In this novel for older children (ages eight and up), Harriet is a precociously intelligent girl whose parents don’t understand her very well. But Ole Golly does. She is Harriet’s nurse, a serious-minded woman who quotes Wordsworth and Emerson and “never wore anything as recognizable as a skirt, a jacket, or a sweater. She just had yards and yards of tweed which enveloped her like a lot of discarded blankets, which ballooned out when she walked, and which she referred to as her Things.”
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