In England's first book, the three kids of the title are a rap group called Squeezed: Ramone is on guitar, Willie raps, and Yock's on the drums as they dream of playing. In the meantime, they need a place to practice their music, and find a space in the home of old blind ``Bass'' Smith. Practice leads to a ``talkin' singin' dancin' party'' where Squeezed gets to play with the bass man. The black-and-white crayon-and-ink drawings, while strong, have little child-appeal; the text, written in free verse, is not rap by any definition. The percussive, hypnotic quality inherent in rap, or even the rapturous making of music found in--for example--Brian Pinkney's Max Found Two Sticks (1994) is not in evidence here. A promising concept marred by false notes. (Picture book. 7-10)
