George and Martha: not, as one might think, the first president and his spouse, but two hippopotamuses created by the singular talent of James Marshall. For the past quarter century, these stories have entertained, intrigued, and delighted readers of all ages. The portly animals have also taught us, in a humorous and lighthearted way, about what it means to be a true friend. A man with a talent for friendship, James Marshall defined its very essence in his stories about the world's two best friends. In this volume, all thirty-five episodes are brought together to celebrate friendship and two of the most lovable book characters ever created.
Like all best friends, George and Martha do everything together--go to the movies, play at the beach, and just hang around not doing much of anything. No matter that they happen to be gigantic hippopotami, they learn the same lessons humans do about the ups and downs of true friendship. George and Martha teach each other (and adoring readers) that even in a close friendship, privacy is important, practical jokes can sometimes backfire, and among other things, pouring split pea soup into your loafers to spare the chef's feelings is not the best laid plan.

What's remarkable about the stories in this wonderful collection is the emotion James Marshall infuses into his understated, charming text and illustrations. Each brief tale is always humorous, never preachy, and his drawings--deceptively simple in appearance--are guaranteed to spark feelings of empathy, delight, and self-recognition. Maurice Sendak, in his foreword to this 25th anniversary compilation edition of all 35 stories, notes, "Those dear, ditzy, down-to-earth hippos bring serious pleasure to everybody, not only to children. They are time-capsule hippos who will always remind us of a paradise in publishing and--both seriously and comically--of the true, durable meaning of friendship under the best and worst conditions." (Ages 4 and up)

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book
Comment: My 3 yr. old son loves reading this book with us, I should say to us. I dont know what else to say. It was a good buy.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: George and Martha: The Complete Stories
Comment: Who doesn't love George and Martha with their dry sense of humor and deep affection for each other.
Great investment and pleasure to read over and over again.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: fantastic!
Comment: I have always loved the George and Martha stories and couldn't wait to read them to my two boys. They are as good as I remembered. The stories are short but not too cute with storylines that are as much fun for the adults as for the kids. James Marshall manages to pack an awful lot into just a few words. And this book has them all! All the stories in the original size (the new "reader" books have shrunk the pictures). A great book and a fantastic value!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: George & Martha
Comment: My son loved this Christmas gift! We've had to read a few stories every night since he opened it. It is a great value!! Mommy enjoys the stories too!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good clean fun!
Comment: After reading a few of these stories to my 5-year-old. I found that we both could enjoy and appreciate the messages within them. This led me to want to buy the entire collection. This is rare for me! Brilliant series!

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