The humorous hippos are back in town, discovering that there can be growth in even the best of friendships.

Best friends George and Martha are back at their usual lively adventures, learning (along with young readers) that there are many ways to spend a good day with a friend.

A man with a talent for friendship, James Marshall defined its very essence in his stories about the world's two best friends. Each of these five brief tales is filled with humor, and James Marshall's drawings are guaranteed to spark feelings of empathy, delight, and self-recognition.

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.