Fabulous 4 Skunks CL

You've heard of punk rock; here's skunk rock. After skunks Stinky, Stenchy, Smelly and Reeky form a pop combo, the local Teen Center's manager (who resembles the title character of Koscielniak's Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts the Weather) listens to their demo tape and invites them to audition. But a problem arises when the band shows up. ""You stink!"" the manager tells them. ""We're just beginners,"" answers Stenchy, not realizing that the band's aroma is in question. The Four Skunks get the gig anyway, and the rodents, rabbits and birds in the audience cope by wearing clothespins on their noses. First-time author Fair doesn't deviate from his one-joke strategy, but the gags and double entendres are likely to grab kids. On the other hand, Koscielniak's cartoony watercolors, rendered in a sedate palette of grays, olives and mild pinks, give off barely a whiff of the Skunks' non-scents-ical attractions. Ages 2-7. (Mar.)