Hello! Hello!: A Counting Book

In yet another entry into the crowded counting book field, this rhyming work by the Space Rock and No Tooth, No Quarter! team has a decidedly dated quality. A girl calls her mother on the telephone and says, ``Hello, it's Pam. Ten guesses where I am.'' Her mother proceeds to make nine incorrect guesses before coming up with the right answer: ``Are you downstairs in the kitchen making a mess?'' Because the girl's answers are inconsistent--she sometimes tells her mother how many wrong guesses she's made, sometimes how many chances are left, and sometimes both --this is too confusing to succeed as a basic concept book. The cartoonlike illustrations, featuring needle-nosed characters and rather garish colors, are not especially appealing. The book comes up short compared with some of the exceptional offerings currently available. Ages 2-4. (June)