George and Martha Tons of Fun

1980, Houghton Mifflin Company

"One day Martha stepped into a photography booth.
"I love to have my picture taken," she said.
"Click," went the camera.

When Martha saw her photograph, she was thrilled.
"I've never looked prettier," she said.""

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James Marshall

Marshall (1942 - 1992) studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music and taught school before turning to writing and illustrating children's books in the late 1970s. Marshall illustrated more than seventy books, the majority of which he also wrote.

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Book Synopsis

George and Martha Tons of Fun includes five vignettes about the ups and downs of friendship. There is quite a bit of truth about being friends in the silly set-ups and illustrations.

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Picture book, 47 pages. Five short stories about friendship.

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Learning Options

Family Read Aloud Time
I love this book because it's timeless -- the stories and illustrations still elicit laughter from children and adults. The George and Martha series is a wonderful way to talk about being a good friend all while laughing at the hippopotamus's silly antics.

Classroom Resource
Learning to disagree productively with friends is a critical social emotional skill for young children.  The George and Martha books are excellent supporting resources for friendship units.

Learning at Home
James Marshall is an excellent choice for an author/artist study integrated with learning digital research skills.  Locating reliable, useful information about Marshall is a good challenge for older children.

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