The Flying Shoes

Loose line drawings roughed in with watercolors convey Myers's ( The Millionth Egg ) sprightly if somewhat pedestrian tale of pup Dogma Barker's odyssey to the palace of newly betrothed Queen Narr, who is holding a contest for ``most original'' wedding present. Dogma and her mother, makers of fanciful footwear for all manner of paws, hooves and reptile toes, have crafted a pair of rocket-boosted flying shoes in hope of winning the Grand Prize and drawing business to their faltering shop. Naturally, Dogma's land-and-sea mission to deliver the gift is fraught with trouble. A dastardly feline thief named Cattails, capable of many disguises but always recognizable to the reader by his bandit mask, shadows Dogma's every step and tries to steal the fantastic shoes. Simplicity and a sunny palette characterize this unexceptional story; readers may find that Cattails's constant exclamations of ``DRAT!'' distract from the illustrations' softness while such elements as a magical parrot seem superfluous. Ages 4-up. (Mar.)