*****= An all-time favorite
**** = Outstanding
*** = Above average
** = Enjoyable
*
= Good, with reservations
****George and Martha
The Complete Stories of Two Good Friends
written and illustrated by James Marshall
Reviewed January 31, 2002.
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. 340 pages.
This book is a collection of the seven different “George and Martha”
picture books. Each one has five stories. George and Martha
are two large hippos who are wonderful friends. The language and pictures
are simple. The humor is understated and absolutely delightful.
Although it would be nicer to own all seven small books instead of this
big fat one, it’s worth it to have all the stories. They do not abridge
any of the books, so the only disadvantage to the big book is that it’s
heavy. These books are absolutely perfect for the beginning reader
who is ready for short chapter books. The visual, subtle humor makes
them feel very clever. Timmy and I have spent more than one delightful
evening together reading through the whole book. (Sometimes we take
turns reading pages.) Absolutely perfect for a first to third grade
audience. Okay, I love it, too.
Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund