How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Susan Cray said her husband had the ideal occupation because he got along so much better with animals than he did with people. (12.1)
Mickey is a born nature enthusiast, but he has some work to do on relating to others. With animals, Mickey doesn't have to watch what he says, only the ways he moves and such… which is good since he doesn't think before he speaks.
Quote #8
Wahoo was mystified by this odd talent of hers. He said, "How many Latin names have you memorized?"
"I don't know—a couple hundred maybe."
"But why?"
"Because I like to…I'll never learn them all, but I'm gonna try." (14.22-25)
Tuna memorizes the Latin names of animals to occupy her mind with a difficult task, not to get to know the creatures she can identify. But engaging with nature this way makes her an expert at IDing a large number of species out in the world.
Quote #9
Tuna stopped as if she'd walked into a brick wall. Never had she witnessed such a scene in person—only on TV nature programs. Unable to identify the reptile, she wanted to look it up… (22.80)
Here, Tuna sees a python killing a bird. When she finally comes in contact with raw wildness, it startles her. The first thing she wants to do is interact with nature through a book, which is her habit. How does reality compare with what is on TV?