Maxi, the Star: 9

Admirers of the Barraccas' The Adventures of Taxi Dog and Maxi, the Hero may be disappointed in the third adventure of the eponymous dog and Jim the taxi-driver. Although its predecessors feature the boldly stylized art of Mark Buehner, this volume introduces debut illustrator Ayers. Technically proficient, Ayers gamely mimics Buehner's vivid style--and invites an interesting game of find-the-cat by hiding subliminal felines in some spreads--but the new Maxi seems more like a slick replica than the real thing. This time around, New Yorkers Maxi and Jim meet a Hollywood producer: ``You must come out west / To do a screen test-- / You could be our Doggie Bites star!'' effuses the mogul to the mutt. Jim and Maxi point their Checker cab toward L.A., stopping in a Kansas cornfield and in Yellowstone Park before hitting the big time. The jaunty text, intense colors and realistic architectural detail will leave new readers justifiably impressed; others, however, may wish the authors had invented an all-new story line rather than rehashing their now-familiar motif. Ages 4-8. (May)