3 KIDS DREAMIN'

In England's first book, the three kids of the title are a rap group called Squeezed: Ramone is on guitar, Willie raps, and Yock's on the drums as they dream of playing. In the meantime, they need a place to practice their music, and find a space in the home of old blind ``Bass'' Smith. Practice leads to a ``talkin' singin' dancin' party'' where Squeezed gets to play with the bass man. The black-and-white crayon-and-ink drawings, while strong, have little child-appeal; the text, written in free verse, is not rap by any definition. The percussive, hypnotic quality inherent in rap, or even the rapturous making of music found in—for example—Brian Pinkney's Max Found Two Sticks (1994) is not in evidence here. A promising concept marred by false notes. (Picture book. 7-10)