Billy's Button

The author-illustrator of Short Short Short Stories presents a sweet but slight picture-book version of the old ``Button, Button'' game. In pastel-toned gouache spreads bursting with buttons of every size and color, Billy's button lies waiting to be discovered--it is always the only one with four holes. As instructed by the book's minimal text (``Where is Billy's button?'' is repeated on every spread), young readers will hunt for the wayward disc in such locations as a crowded train, a circus parade and the briny deep. Accorsi's settings, rendered chiefly in shades of violet, pink and green, quickly grow repetitive. And although the task is pleasant enough the first time through, the book ultimately proves a slender exercise. Ages 4-up. (Aug.)