PETER'S THREE FRIENDS

Easy to read but hard to take are Peter and his friends. Two are adults who speak in honey-sweet tones, and one is a little girl, Susie. Peter and his dog walk through the undistinguished text and pictures. At one point the dog grabs Susie's doll from its carriage. The only other event occurs when Peter visits his artist friend. The man, bedizened in the trappings of the comic strip artist (smock, bow-tie and tam) allows Peter to paint a picture. Flatly shaded pictures in black and white do nothing to revive the text.