A Beautiful Song (Funjeepups)

Three forest friends, equal parts acorn- and gnome-like, endeavor to write “a beautiful song” in this easygoing picture book from Slack (Kitties on Dinosaurs). As pals Dot, Button, and Dollop enjoy “sunshine... and big juicy berries!” a bird’s song inspires the woodsy trio to try their hands at instrumentation. After gathering a drum, flute, and piano, the budding songwriters’ initial efforts result in little more than a cacophony of onomatopoeia (“SQUEEEE”). In the aftermath, one laments that “it was not a song,” but quick comfort arrives from another: “It was a not-YET song.” After “beautiful thoughts” also fail to produce the desired result, the group’s feathered pal intercedes with brief instruction, and the three-piece band successfully emit the sonorous sounds they’d been seeking and model a simple gratitude. Brightened with yellow-green hues, digital renderings remniscent of Over the Garden Wall unfold across panels whose simple thought-bubble dialogue is easily interpreted sequentially. In this low-conflict telling, the characters work through a learning curve with a genial enthusiasm whose lingering effect charts a positive path toward further series titles. Publishing simultaneously: A Star Wish. Ages 3–7. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (June)