Three Dots

A-one and a-two--make way for one of the wackiest acts to hit the stage in a long time. Three misfits from different parts of the country--a moose, a frog and a duck, all cursed with the same unusual polka-dot markings--converge on New York City in search of their dreams. As fate would have it, Henry, Margaret and Sal meet up in a donut shop and form an instant friendship that results in a shared apartment and, soon after, plenty of gigs as the super-hot musical group called The Three Dots. But when Sal's popularity (not to mention his ego) begins to eclipse that of his bandmates, the Dots face a difficult decision. Primavera ( Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise ) wryly pokes fun at the dizzying power of celebrity. In addition to its easygoing humor, the text captures a range of true emotions as the friends experience the highs and lows of show biz--and of relationships. Kicky watercolors depict breezy tabloids (sample headline: ``I'm outta here says frog . . . ditto says duck'') and hilarious scenes of the group appearing on Oprah and The Tonight Show , and performing for Queen Elizabeth and Madonna. This off-the-wall volume should get lots of play. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)