THE FLYING ACORNS

When the turkey puts up a poster—``CIRCUS: Good Acts Needed''—three bored squirrels decide to become aerial artists, but their efforts to work up a routine lead to one pratfall after another; meanwhile, three equally bored vacationing snails look on, commenting among themselves (``This should be thrilling''; ``They're very dedicated''). When the squirrels split up after a quarrel, the snails (they sing) join one of them and go on to success, while the other two squirrels take on a rabbit (their erstwhile drummer) as a third for their new act. This comic- strip-style farce gets off to a slow start, but Stevenson's adroit draughting and sly honing of clichÇs into dialogue have a cumulative effect that ends by becoming hilariously funny. A book that begs to be read aloud. (Picture book. 5-10)