MEET THE SHREWS

Dreaming by his campfire, a young shrew named Johnny has an idea—he wants to share his music. Collecting an old friend and a couple of other shrew musicians, he hits the road in an old bus; his group soon becomes ``America's favorite ambassadors of the blues.'' It's a common fantasy with only success along the way, culminating in Las Vegas. What's interesting is Parsley's lilting, rhythmic language with its subtle echoes and reiterations, and Fox's sophisticated paintings, which skillfully capture the ambience of the back alley where the shrews first perform and the colorfully contrasted settings where they later appear all over the world. Different and fun. (Picture book. 5- 10)