George and Martha, tons of fun

Those lighthearted hippo pals are back in five short stories that celebrate friendship's many gives and takes. (4-8) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Misunderstandings, twinges of guilt, petty deceptions, and the loss of a birthday gift are winningly overcome in this latest set of five brief tales about Marshall's ludicrously buoyant hippos. Marshall must have had great fun dreaming up poses for the two: George in fuzzy slippers raiding the refrigerator, Martha smoking an ugly cigar as a counter to his overeating, Martha eating up all the cookies while perched atop the repentant George, the two of them overhanging the seat of a playground merry-go-round. Best of all is the photography-booth photo Martha has taken in story number three. ""I've never looked prettier,"" says Martha of the odd, cut-off snout shot. But the last story ends with her joining George in a laugh at the picture. ""She saw that the photograph was pretty funny after all""--a concession that pretty well illustrates why this picture-book friendship endures. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.