BIG BERRY

The lesson of this and every other story in the Happyland board-book series is proclaimed right on the cover.

It's nice of Yaccarino to spell it out, because the “lesson” in each book in the series is actually open to interpretation. Without the final statement (“Good friends are better than big berries”), an astute child might conclude that this outing is cautioning against greed, as red, mosquitolike Bink has spent most of the book pursuing ever bigger berries; her friend’s final-page presentation of a berry does say much that’s good about her friend but little about gratitude. Likewise, companion Birthday Cake (“about sharing”) could be recommending gluttony. It is a stretch to conclude that yellow dog Clyde has learned that it's better to give than to receive just because Bink is happy with what is left of the cake. Each slight story is told in spreads that alternate between short statements and wordless pages. The characters are three bright-colored friends, with blue, footed fish Glub Glub (who is, mystifyingly, afraid to get wet in Rainy Day, which tackles “worry”) rounding out the cast.

This playful little tale and its companions are spoiled by the imposition of moral lessons.