THE RED DRAGON

A fairly sturdy, unusually well-designed ``3-D Picture Book with Press-Out Disguises,'' with a somewhat predictable story that's still of markedly better quality than most pop-ups. After a landslide closes Red Dragon's cave, he hops on his motorcycle, finds a new place, then dons disguises (provided, with slip-in tabs) to seek food from his new neighbors. Unfortunately, his clothing does nothing to soften the effect of begging hamburger from a cow and lamb chops from a sheep; finally getting their outraged message, he tries grass, finds it to his liking, turns green, and begins a new life with new friends. Even without the clever paper engineering, Allen's brash caricatures and bright colors make this an entertaining offering. (Picture book. 4-8)