Lickety-Split.

Meet our adventurer—an ordinary boy with a big imagination. Each page is a fantastical illustration accompanied by a sound. He wrestles a tornado (“whirly-twirly”), out-skis an avalanche (“roly-poly”), comes within an inch of being run over by a speeding train (“whewwwwwww”), meets an alien (“holy-moly”), and more. His friend, skeptical, dismisses his tales (“mishity-mash”) and runs off “lickety-split” with our hero in tow.

Aptly named Lickety-Split, this poem is fast-paced, playful, and funny. The text roles off the tongue and, coupled with the sensational illustrations, makes it hard not to fluctuate your voice to mimic the font it is illustrated with. The boldly coloured comic book style and action images almost make the reader pop out of their seat! The text challenges the idea of traditional poetry, making it a fantastic addition to any classroom or personal library. Together, Heidbreder and Petricic capture the essence of the boy’s imagination with unusual text and the grandeur of image. Highly recommended.