George and Martha One Fine Day

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Short stories depict the experiences of two hippopotamuses who find that friendship has its own problems and rewards.

Children's Literature

One of children's greatest pre-reading joys is discovering the connection between the print they see and the words they hear while listening to books on tape. Suddenly, as they listen to a tape, and turn the pages when a beep sounds, they have a new sense of accomplishment. A child gifted with auditory talents may recite a story or a hunk of a book or a refrain, and delight in "reading" by him or herself. Two wonderful classics, George and Martha One Fine Day and George and Martha Back in Town, have just been released in tape-book format. Both of these collections of short stories about the friendship between two hippos are silly and endearing. 2000, Houghton Mifflin, Ages 4 to 7, $9.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde

James Marshall (1942-1992) created dozens of exuberant and captivating books for children, including The Stupids, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, and the ever-popular George and Martha books. Before creating his canon of classic, hilarious children's books, James Marshall played the viola, studied French, and received a master's degree from Trinity College. He also doodled. It was the doodles, and the unforgettable characters that emerged from them, that led him to his life's work as one of the finest creators of children's books of the twentieth century. In 2007, James Marshall was posthumously awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder medal for his lasting contribution to literature for children.