Seriously, I did not expect the book to actually be as great as I remembered. I bought a copy and sat back with my new-old book fully expecting to be… well, let down. Not just Nostalgia – it really is greatĪfter all these years, I stumbled on this classic again, just a couple weeks ago. One of my favorite books of all time as a kid (I think second grade) was Marshall’s Miss Nelson is Missing! I absolutely loved this story and read it several times, staring at the pictures, searching for clues. His stories have inspired orchestras to play new songs. And yet his stories have been adapted into cartoons, movies and stage musicals. In terms of awards, Marshall was only ever a winner of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award.
James Marshall, sometimes credited as Edward Marshall (using his middle name), is considered a top-drawer writer and illustrator. Whether Marshall was ready to take ownership of his abilities or not, the man should be recognized at least now, and at least by others who can learn from his body of work. To be frank, I find that the refusal to accept proper acknowledgment is common amongst creative people. I’ve no doubt Marshall knew this would happen. Some libraries don’t even mention Marshall as a contributor, noting only the primary contributor (Allard). But it’s still Allard’s name given top credit (literally, at the top of the book cover) for each of those stories. Allard didn’t write any of the books.Īllard came up with story ideas and gave them to Marshall, who then wrote and illustrated them. What you might not know about Marshall and Allard. Marshall is perhaps most known for working on the George and Martha series and The Stupids.įor several of Marshall’s books ( The Stupids and all the Miss Nelson books), writing credit was given to his friend, a celebrated botanist named Harry Allard. The Miss Nelson Collection is something I treasured as a child – which says a lot, because I was one of those kids who hated reading.Īs it happens, James Marshall was friends with Maurice Sendak, who has reportedly said that Marshall was “uncommercial to a fault.” This is why you probably don’t know his name – even though everyone interested in illustrated storybooks should know it. Yet chances are, you don’t recognize his name in the same way you might Eric Carle, Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak, Beverly Cleary, or Dr. He was one of the best.Įven though he only lived to be 50 years old, James Marshall created over 60 children’s books. PLEASE! If you’ve never read a book by James Marshall, you are missing out. If you know about his stories, give me a shout-out in the comments section. James Marshall is really one of the great unsung heroes of children’s storybooks. Detective Invisible – Kommissar Unsichtbar.20 Best Books for Pre-readers (3-5 yrs).
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