James Marshall (1942?1992) created dozens of exuberant and captivating books for children, including The Stupids, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, and the ever-popular George and Martha books. Before creating his canon of classic, hilarious children's books, James Marshall played the viola, studied French, and received a master's degree from Trinity College. He also doodled. It was the doodles, and the unforgettable characters that emerged from them, that led him to his life's work as one of the finest creators of children's books of the twentieth century. In 2007, James Marshall was posthumously awarded the Children's Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children.

"Iconic best hippo friends George and Martha discover that, among other things, pouring split pea soup into your loafers to spare the chef's feelings is not the best-laid plan in this Level Two I Can Read."--]cProvided by publisher.