You'll Never Guess!

Nothing is as it initially appears in Dunbar's high-spirited first book for children. On each page, a boy and girl positioned outside the picture's frame play a guessing game with each other. In the first illustration, one points to what looks like a silhouette of a girl, and offers her friend a challenge: ``You'll never guess what this is!'' A turn of the page reveals the shape to be that of a silly-looking dog. Subsequently, what appears to be the outline of a palm tree turns out to be that of a slender movie star bedecked in a large, plumed hat; an object shaped like a pepper grinder is actually a kimono-clad Japanese doll; and what seems to be the silhouette of a car is that of a turtle on roller skates. Young readers will delight in these simple deceptions and will be especially entertained by Dunbar's unexpected ending, which leaves them with a question to ponder. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is a dashing debut for a promising author-illustrator. Ages 3-8. (Mar.)