A Spoonful of Sugar: How a Vaccine Inspired a Disney Classic

Jeffrey Sherman was around 5 years old in 1962 when he came home one day to find his father looking depressed. Jeffrey’s dad was the late Robert B. Sherman, one half of the Sherman Brothers—the songwriting duo behind many of Walt Disney’s classic films.

Robert and his brother, Richard, were in the process of writing a song called, “The Eyes of Love” for the classic film Mary Poppins. But actress Julie Andrews didn’t like the song, and Walt Disney asked them to come back with something more in line with the philosophy of Mary Poppins.  Their efforts to rewrite the song fell flat, and they were in low spirits. 

But a conversation Robert had with 5-year-old Jeffrey when he arrived home from school that day changed everything.

A Mary Poppins song book from Jeffrey Sherman’s childhood, with special dedication from the Sherman Brothers. Robert Sherman’s dedication reads, “Jeff —Thanks for ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ and thanks for being my son! Dad.”

For StoryCorps, Jeffrey recorded a remembrance of his father from his home in West Hills, California. There, he told his wife Wendy Liebman about the day he inadvertently helped spark the creation of one of the most famous songs in the American canon.

Top Photo: A 5-year-old Jeffrey Sherman is pictured with his father, songwriter Robert Sherman, in the early 1960s. Courtesy of Jeffrey Sherman.

Aired January 2, 2026 and January 8, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.