"ALI BABA BERNSTEIN, LOST AND FOUND"

In the third in a series of whimsical romps that began with The Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein (1985), Ali Baba (nÉ David) is dealing with more mature concerto: doing the right thing when he finds $100 on a Manhattan sidewalk; learning how rumor can take on a life of its own; showing his parents he's responsible enough to have a dog. The first episode (Ali Baba mistakes a cantaloupe for a bomb) is too far-fetched even for this type of lighthearted fiction, and Ali Baha's habit of dating events by his exact age (""...on the day he was ten years, five months, and six days old..."") is now thoroughly stale; nonetheless, lively, easy-to-read fare with appealing characters. Illustrations not seen.