Dirty Dave

Dirty Dave, the terror of the Australian outback, has a scandalous secret: his father, Dan, likes to sew. One day, when Dave and his band (sister Sue and their mother, Maude) hold up a stagecoach, the beleaguered victims are struck by the outlaws' style and ask, ``Who does your stitching? We'd pay a lot to know.'' Realizing that there's money to be made here, the gang forsakes highway robbery for high fashion, and soon people are flocking from near and far to purchase Dan's creative couture. Hilton's spare text is deliciously tongue-in-cheek, and the quirky, intricately detailed illustrations--at times reminiscent of Quentin Blake--are full of sly humor. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)