Ten Little Penguins

Based on the ``Ten Little Indians'' formula, this workmanlike outing invokes a series of ungainly penguins who one by one fall victim to mishap. Four lines of verse explain each spread; the meter scans properly but the rhymes are merely so-so. The pop-up engineering is also competent but undistinguished: in one scenario, a tugged lever causes a penguin to ascend into the air on a balloon; later, a sliding panel creates the effect of a wave crashing over a surfing bird. In the most complex construction, an angling penguin vanishes into the ocean as a hooked fish splashes into view. A rather forced finale finds all the presumably doomed penguins safe atop a mountain-a situation sure to perplex young logicians. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)