Maestro Plays

Radunsky's (The Pup Grew Up!; Hail to the Mail) stylized, hand-colored, cut-paper art triumphantly illustrates Martin's (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) playful paean to adverbs. At center stage is a clown-like creature, ``The Maestro,'' who plays a progression of instruments. And how does he play? In an intriguing variety of ways, including some that are easy enough to understand (``flowingly, glowingly, knowingly, showingly, goingly'') and some that will require youngsters to use their imaginations (``nippingly, drippingly, zippingly, clippingly, pippingly''). The book's mischievous type (it changes size and position from one spread to another), rompish rhyme and dazzling colors will keep youngsters turning the pages... quickly, contentedly, repeatedly. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)