James Marshall's Last Book

James Marshall's George and Martha are frequently half-antagonistic; there is generally a disagreement in the air. I can think of two exceptions: "The Tooth" and "The French Lesson." Those stories are pure examples of romance. The hippos take care of each other and even indulge in a second of physical affection.

The George/Martha spirit helped Marshall through his final project--an adaptation of "The Owl and the Pussy-cat." In this poem, like George, the Owl delights his beloved:

He looked up to the stars above--

And sang to a small guitar--

O, lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are!

The ensuing events are mainly acquisitions. The Owl and the Pussy-cat find a wedding ring. They persuade a turkey to officiate in the marriage ceremony. These small scenes allow Marshall to fill his pages with benevolent, strange, wordless secondary characters, who evoke thoughts of the bookseller and the ticket-taker from "George and Martha: The Complete Stories."

It seems appropriate that Marshall's last book was both (a) an expression of joy and (b) a flawless work of art. I owe thanks to my daughter, who randomly found this story at the library.

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