LICKETY-SPLIT

In what must have been a challenge to illustrate, Petricic turns out a series of scenarios for a text that consists entirely of the title and 28 variations, from “Klickety-Klank” to “Zippety-Zoom.” There’s even a shred of plot, as a lad’s efforts to impress a lass with his mighty exploits—facing a Viking (“Clinkety-Clank”), running with a football (“Ziggety-Zag”), piloting a jet (“Zippety-Zoom”) and so on—meet with a skeptical response (“Mishity-Mash”) before the two race off happily. Fortunately, the pattern breaks into a “Holy-Moly” or a “Wibbly-Wobbly,” and the lad’s expression of smiling confidence changes to apprehension or dismay, often enough to stave off monotony. No one will ever complain that there’s not enough action here; pair it with the noisy likes of Ross MacDonald’s Achoo! Bang! Crash! (2003). (Picture book. 5-7)