James Marshall Summer

It seems to me that the George and Martha stories happen in perpetual, or near-perpetual, summer.

Chaos unspools at a local outdoor community pool. And the two hippos visit an amusement park--a classic summer stop. When George gets a job, he is lifeguarding at the beach. And a true test of the friendship occurs when Martha refuses to wear sunscreen before plunging into ocean waves.

We also witness lounging-in-a-hammock, landscape-painting-among-palm-trees, and water wars "one late-summer morning."

This is one of many ways in which James Marshall's spirit matches mine. I'm thoroughly ready for summer, especially a summer in which Covid has a diminished role. Maybe this family will spend some time with George and Martha as we get ready for the beach.

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