THE EGYPTIAN JUKEBOX

THE EGYPTIAN JUKEBOX Nick Bantock (Viking, $18.95) With his pop-up books, a new installment in the Griffin & Sabine series, and now The Egyptian Jukebox, Nick Bantock is a contender for Most Prolific Author of the Year. This ''three- dimensional mystery'' centers on a missing millionaire traveler who left behind a chest of drawers, each of which contains clues to the riddle ''Where do my worlds join?'' If you got beyond the preciousness of Griffin & Sabine, you'll love this whimsical concept. If not, you'll still be seduced by Bantock's musty, Joseph Cornell-inspired constructions and diverted by his accompanying travel tales. As for the riddle, even a peek at the answer won't unlock Bantock's maddeningly cryptic clues, and the banal solution is a small reward for the frustration of trying to figure it out. Don't bother- just enjoy. A- -Margot Mifflin