Papa's Treasures

There are some random objects lurking around Papa's garage studio. Yep, we're talking about those "treasures" (1.4.26) that he collects from anywhere and everywhere to turn into art. And they're sprinkled all over the book, too. Here are the treasures that stood out to us:

• Broken cello
• Old telephone
• Mannequin arms
• Driftwood
• A silver ball
• Wire
• Cigar boxes

Are there other treasures that crop up for you? Go ahead and add them to the list.

Now let's get the real scoop about these treasures. Honestly, most of them come from the dump. But when Papa looks at them, he doesn't see trash. Nope—instead he sees possibilities for creating seriously cool pieces of art. And he wants to get Billy in on the creative fun:

"Does any of this speak to you?" Papa asked. He rotated the driftwood in his hands, eyeing it critically. "Any ideas how your old Papa can turn these lovely bits of rummage into art?" (1.4.32)

Instead of calling his objects garbage, Papa sees these pieces as "lovely," which lets us know that he's an inventive chap. It's also a good reminder that imagination is key. See, when Papa studies his treasures, he's looking for ideas and inspiration, ways to take old pieces and use them in brand spanking new ways. This is all possible thanks to imagination, with a bit of patience thrown in for good measure.

Plus, Papa gets Billy involved in the fantastical fun. We'd venture a guess that Billy's little silver treasures for Ms. S might've even been inspired by his dad's art—he's learning how to put objects together in new and funky ways. And that's inspiring.

So the treasures teach us about inspiration and imagination. What else might they represent?