How we cite our quotes: (Section.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Billy took the pillowcase, filled it with clothes from Sal's dresser, and bound the open end with one of her stretchy hair bands, twisting it around and around. He'd left several inches of cloth at the end; he fanned it out. "This is the tail," he said.
Then he pushed and pulled and fluffed the stuffed pillowcase until it pleased him. "There," he said. "It's a whale. A big one."
"It is," said Sal. "Who is it?"
"This is—" Billy said, thinking fast. "This is—Coughdrop. He's the Drop Sisters' cousin. He usually lives at the aquarium. But he's here for a visit.
"Coughdrop," said Sal, smiling. "I love him. Make him say something." (3.4.42-46)
If Billy has learned one thing from his dad, it's that art comes in all sorts of forms. And can be made out of all sorts of materials. So when he whips up this pillowcase whale for Sal, complete with a story, we know that Billy's showing his artsy side. And Sal sure is a huge fan. But who wouldn't be when your newest pal is a pillow named Coughdrop?
Quote #8
Writing a poem about Mama would not be easy to do. Ms. Silver said that the poems could be funny, but that they had to be appropriate. She said to think of the poems as a nice way to honor a special person. Billy wanted to make sure that whatever he wrote pleased Mama. But he also wanted to make sure that whatever he wrote wouldn't embarrass him when he read it in front of a roomful of people including adults and his classmates.
Billy liked the rhythm and rhyming of limericks, but he thought it would be easier to write a haiku about Mama, or an acrostic. Or, he could write what Ms. Silver called free verse, which seemed to Billy to be ordinary writing just broken up into lines that were shorter than normal. (4.2.4-5)
Billy is pretty practical when it comes to his poem. He's got a few criteria in mind: making his mom happy and not looking like a fool. And he's got to figure out how to bring both of these goals together in a poem, which is no easy feat. At least he's learning that there are lots of different types of poems, so he'll have his pick of the litter when it comes to writing one for the leading lady in his life.
Quote #9
"I have an idea," said Ms. Silver. "I think you should take your journal home tonight. You should ask your mom what she likes. You could make a list of things. The list could be your poem. Or, maybe, there's something you and your mom do together. You could write about that."
"Okay," said Billy. His eyes shifted down to his volcano drawings. He wasn't fond of homework in general, but it seemed even worse now that it was so close to the end of the school year. His mind was already focusing on summer vacation.
"You've done some fine writing today," said Ms. Silver. "We can work again tomorrow."
It really is work, thought Billy sadly. (4.2.32-35)
Art is hard work, and this makes Billy sad. In fact, he seems pretty bummed about having to do homework for his poem when he gets home from school. Why do you think Billy is sad about art being "work"? Does his attitude toward art change by the end of the book?