WHERE'S MARY'S HAT?

Madcap musings on animal antics make for a droll debut from a French author/artist. The text, about a cow named Mary who goes from one animal to the next in search of her chapeau, is relatively bland: " 'Have you seen a lost hat?' 'Afraid not,' said the toucan. 'But maybe the bees know where it is.' " The illustrations, however, are splendidly silly. Rendered in what appears to be a combination of prints and paints, the compositions set boxy-bodied creatures in hats against boldly blended color fields. The sight gags include a goldfish wearing a bowler hat, headed for vacation by flying from a plain aquarium to one kitted out with a miniature palm tree; penguins at their dance lessons; and the aforesaid toucan, shown in a beret, painting a picture of a birdcage. More subtle details abound as well. A pig in an old-fashioned bathing suit prepares to dive into a tiled swimming pool; small fish have been etched into the brushstrokes of the pool water, which is also enhanced by a marine-blue postage stamp. The story line may drag a bit, but the visual comedy is constant. Ages 3-8. (May)