Where's Waldo? in Hollywood

He's back--and as enticingly elusive as ever. Here the bespectacled wanderer travels to Tinseltown to hide out on 12 actor- and crew-packed movie sets. Among the epic productions he witnesses are a reenactment of a battle between the Trojans and the Greeks; the tale of Ali Baba and the 40-plus thieves; the adventures of the (many more than three) musketeers; and a grand skirmish between Robin Hood's myriad merry men and the soldiers of Nottingham Castle. In addition to Waldo (who is usually visible only from the neck up), Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard, bad-guy Odlaw and Woof (``Remember, all you can see is his tail!'') are also artfully camouflaged on each riotous spread--as are a minuscule scroll, bone, key and can of film. Handford outdoes himself in the oversize volume's final scene, depicting the filming of ``Where's Waldo? The Musical,'' which entails a stageful of one genuine--and countless impostors of--Waldo and each of his colleagues. Filled with witty puns and plays on Hollywood cliches, Handford's trademark checklists of ``lots more things for Waldo-watchers to look for'' conclude this clever book. Allegedly three years in the making, this production was worth waiting for. Ages 5-up. (Nov.)