The Grand Old Duke of York

A venerable eight-line nursery rhyme has long acclaimed the exploits of the feckless Duke of York and his army of 10,000 men: ``He marched them up to the top of the hill, / And he marched them down again.'' Here, 10 new verses continue the Duke's adventures as his silly soldiers scatter, then muster once again. Rhymes, rhythms and nonsense logic match and sometimes surpass the original. After the Duke's men get lost in a wood and are rerouted in a river crossing, for example, their numbers have drastically dwindled: ``The grand old Duke of York / Had only twenty men-- / Fifteen marching through a farm, / Were chased off by a hen.'' The artwork--precisely delineated collages--catches the verve in bold fields of color, dynamic compositions and a hint of mischief (when a row of smiling soldiers marches in unison, it's easy to overlook the final man, facing backward and scowling). Other clever strokes include the use of loosely woven burlap in creating the Duke's horse: cut separately, the hind and front legs are laid so that the grains in these sections run counter, with the effect of suggesting motion. A treat in every way, both playful and well thought out. Ages 4-7. (Feb.)