Ten Little Hippos

The creator of the playful Buffalo Girls here stages an equally entertaining performance--this one featuring a cast of hippos on stage, decked out in gaily colored costumes. The curtain opens on ``Ten little hippos dancing in a line.'' Then ``one falls away. Now there are . . .'' Young listeners will fill in the blank, as a turn of the page reveals nine roller-skating hippos against a different backdrop. The scenery changes on each spread, as more and more hippos disappear. The countdown is complete when ``One little hippo waiting for her chance / Calls to all her friends to come and join the final dance,'' and all 10 performers return to take a bow. Though youngsters may be so regaled by the antics on stage that they'll ignore a few glitches in McCarthy's rhyme scheme, adults will perhaps be less forgiving. But the ebullient illustrations will receive hearty applause from all. Ages 1-7. (Mar.)