Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet

Here's a rumpus, indeed: this beleaguered vet's office may never fully recover from the chaos that ensues when Cassie the cockatoo plucks a hair from the hide of Hairy Maclary (``from Donaldson's Dairy''). This mischievous deed sets in motion a rambunctious, rhyming riot, as various ailing pets all decide to forgo their restraints and cavort in grand fashion. And just as some semblance of order is about to be restored, the culprit seems ready to strike again. This extended poem forms the basis for that relatively rare commodity, a book that tickles the funnybones of parents and children alike. With its amusing alliteration, fanciful names (Noodle the poodle; Barnacle Beasley, the sore and sorely vexed beagle; ``The Poppadum kittens from Parkinson Place'') and rapid-fire delivery, Dodd's nonsense verse follows quite nicely in the grand tradition of Messrs. Nash and Lear. The pictures are amiably animated and suitably silly, but watch those wonderful waggish words. Ages 5-7. (May)