BEE-ING HAPPY WITH UNICORN JAZZ AND FRIENDS

Animals, both real and magical, share things that make them happy in this second installment of the Unicorn Jazz picture-book series.

After a short introduction by the bespectacled honeybee Bee Happy, Caprelli’s cheerful story offers ideas about what makes the anthropomorphized cast of animals smile. Each page starts with the words “Bee-ing Happy Is,” followed by concepts both personal (making a birthday wish) and friend-focused (writing someone a letter or giving a pal a balloon). Many of the pages suggest activities to share with friends or family, while others discuss more solitary endeavors involving nature. The author’s repeated opening gives the lap crowd a chance to jump in on each page as well as bolstering the confidence of newly emergent readers. The simple phrases at the bottoms of the pages are skillfully reflected by Villalobos’ cartoon illustrations, providing emergent readers extra clues to decipher unfamiliar words. But one word on each page that’s key to the image is depicted with every letter in a different color, which may create challenges for some readers. The heavily shaded pictures have a hand-drawn feel, sometimes with the colors slipping beyond their outlines, making the pages seem busy. While each illustration features Bee Happy (encouraging readers to spot the insect), the other characters—even Unicorn Jazz—are not consistently present, making it hard to get to know the players. Fans already familiar with the series or the related TV show may connect with the cast more easily.

An engaging, kindness-centered collection of largely unrelated, upbeat moments.