What's in the Prehistoric Forest? By Peter Seymour; Illustrated by David A. Carter (Henry Holt and Co., $10.95, ages 18 months to 3 years) Suspense lurks on every page of this short, inviting book that asks children to guess the identity of hidden animals. The answers lie behind flaps that reveal drawings or pop-up figures of such creatures as a triceratops and a stegosaurus. The climax comes on the final two pages, with the startling appearance of the biggest animal, which may leave some small children tyrannosaurus wrecks. A
When the Wild Pirates Go Sailing By Kees Moerbeek and Carla Dijs (Price Stern Sloan, $9.95, ages 2 to 5) A cute story about a fearless band of pirates provides the pretext for the appearance of a creature on each set of facing pages. The animals are imaginatively engineered so that several of them extend to almost double the height of the book. In fact, some children initially may be frightened by the dramatic rise of the octopus, sea dragon, or polar bear. A
King Arthur and the Magic Sword By Howard Pyle; designed by Keith Moseley; pictures by John James (Dial, $13.95, ages 6 to 11) Although highly condensed, this version of the story of Arthur's ascent to the throne of England hews close to the style and tone of the 1903 book from which it was adapted. The illustrations and pop-up scenes are appropriately elaborate and lavish, capturing the color of such events as a jousting match and Arthur's attempt to pull a sword from an anvil. This book's sure to keep older kids up for knights. A
