A Village Full of Valentines

Stevenson serves up seven Valentine's Day vignettes starring a congenial cast of animal villagers. Preparations for the February holiday inspire minor comedies: after Donald the frog hands Tricia the bird a valentine that she strongly suspects was given to him last year, she places an invisible card in his hand and tells him it's the ``world's tiniest valentine''; crafty Curtis moans that no one likes him in order to accumulate valentines; unable to send cards to everyone, Gus the tailor comes up with a creative, collective valentine; and, skillfully swirling his tail, Lester (a snake) conducts the other villagers in a rousing rendition of ""Let Me Call You Sweetheart."" The links among the various vignettes might be clearer and a few stories seem to end in mid-air, but some genuinely funny dialogue and spirited pen-and-watercolors make this an effervescent medley, certain to add sparkle to a wintry February eve. Ages 5-up. (Feb.)