George and Martha

A Review of George and Martha
By Kate Hammond

Marshall, James. George and Martha. Illustrated by James Marshall. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1974. 48 pages. Tr. $6.95 ISBN 0395199727.

What’s funnier than a hippo who loves to make split pea soup? How about another hippo who pours it in his shoes? In the five silly and expressively illustrated stories collected in this volume, the first of a series starring the title characters, James Marshall paints a picture of a beautiful friendship between two dignified hippopotamuses. In each of the five stories, “Split Pea Soup,” “The Flying Machine,” “The Tub,” “The Mirror,” and “The Tooth,” George and Martha hilariously demonstrate the ups and downs of friendship. Through their ridiculous episodes and misadventures, the two friends teach each other and their readers about the values of honesty, comfort, respect, humility, and caring for each other through tough situations.

The stories are very short, some only one or two pages, which adds to the fast paced humor of the book. While the stories are silly, the affection between George and Martha is apparent and touching, even when they disagree or play tricks on each other. The brevity, humor, and simplicity of the stories make them ideal for either reading aloud or for beginning readers to read on their own. Some adults may find the roles of the two characters to be stereotypically gendered, but the triumphs and defeats of both hippos set them on equal ground. While their considerable physical size is sometimes the source of their troubles, this is never treated as a problem in itself. Indeed, confidence in one’s physical appearance is a recurring theme.

Even more endearing than the stories themselves are the accompanying illustrations. Marshall imbues his hippo heroes with such expressive qualities that the tenor of each story can be gathered by the mischievous slant of George’s eyebrows, the worried frowns on Martha’s face, or the bewildered look on George as he is about to take a spill on his roller skates. The illustrations not only add a layer of humor to the stories, they are a crucial part of the book’s character development and express the emotions and sympathies shared by the two friends. This book is recommended for ages 5-8, but could happily be shared and enjoyed by audiences from 3 to adult.