Daisy-Head Mayzie

More than three years after his death comes a new work from bestselling and beloved Seuss (Theodor Geisel). While fans are sure to be tickled by the prospect of Seussian entertainment, they are likely to be disappointed in the ``also-ran'' flavor of this picture book, adapted from an animated TV special. The Cat in the Hat, jaunty-looking as ever, introduces and narrates the tale of young Mayzie McGrew, who one day mysteriously sprouts a daisy from her head. The phenomenon is followed by a lengthy and predictable scramble of adults rushing in to solve the problem. The attendant media buzz makes a celebrity of Mayzie and her daisy, and she learns the hard way about the high cost of fame. While the premise and concluding moral are all Seuss, the posthumous execution falls flat. Much of the text lacks the snap and panache of standard Seuss verse, and the artwork-extrapolated from Seuss sketches-seems off-kilter too. The economy of line of his best work gives way here to clutter, and the colors combine heavily and sometimes even harshly. One great success is the daisy itself, which conveys much human emotion through its stalk, leaves and petals. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)