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. 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. 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 characters ever created. Each of these brief tales is filled with humor, and James Marshall€s drawings are guaranteed to spark feelings of empathy, delight, and self-recognition.

This collector€s edition includes an introduction by Maurice Sendak as well as appreciations by some of the top authors and illustrators working in children€s publishing today.It is a true testament to James Marshall as an author, as an artist, and as a person that his work and his life inspired such a diverse and immensely talented group. Noted children€s book historian Anita Silvey provides an afterword.