Moog-Moog, Space Barber

When Elmo Freem goes to get a haircut for school, it signals the beginning of another adventure for Elmo and his cat Leon, who first starred in The Trouble with the Johnsons. The well-meaning but untalented barber, Mr. Kleeg, gives Elmo a haircut that even a baseball cap can't hide. Later, watching an outer space adventure on TV, Elmo and Leon encounter a pair of space monsters, who suggest a visit to Moog-Moog, a sort of intergalactic tonsorial artist. After traveling by spaceship through the galaxy, Elmo is presented to Moog-Moog, whose own highly coiffed hair changes color with every move he makes. ``Here is a challenge worthy of the Great Moog!'' exclaims the stylist as he goes to work. Scissors, X-ray blow guns, crinklers and curlers are employed to no avail: a bad haircut is a bad haircut on any planet, and the disconsolate Moog is only slightly comforted by Elmo's kind words. Teague's droll sense of humor is omnipresent in this crazy romp through the universe. His splendid artwork is more colorful here than in the first book, and his familiarity with his medium pays off in skillfully rendered paintings that are both full of texture and fundamentally sound. Ages 6-9. (Nov.)