BIRDBRAIN AMOS

An insect-ridden hippopotamus thinks his prayers are answered when a tick bird responds to his ad for a bug remover in this humorous romp for readers just graduating to full-length fiction. "I don't do teeth," winged Kumba warns Amos, the hippo, but that's the smallest problem with this alliance. Kumba builds a nest on the fellow's head and lays eggs there, making him the laughing stock of the jungle. Amos doesn't have the heart to evict the interlopers, though, and a hilarious situation comedy ensues. The plot clips right along, and what makes this story so laugh-out-loud funny is Delaney's (Deep Doo Doo) fully developed, quirky cast. Their interplay reflects the traits attributed to the species. For instance, a vulture who responds to Amos's ad gets right to the point: "I haven't actually removed bugs from animals.... But I have removed flesh from animal bones." And an ill-motivated python speaks with the unctuousness of a TV commercial voiceover: "Good news, my friend.... I have a guaranteed method that gets rid of tick birds fast." Literal-minded Kumba misinterprets everything Amos says (many of their exchanges resemble "Who's on First?"), and the wishy-washy hero must navigate between compassion and the pressure to conform. Delaney's pen-and-ink illustrations, generously sprinkled throughout, reflect the same strong characterization found in the text. Ages 7-10. (Mar.)