How we cite our quotes: (Section.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Papa was an artist. He was waiting for a breakthrough. That's what he always said. He was currently working on big sculptures made of found objects. Pieces of old machines, tree limbs, and broken furniture filled the garage and spilled out onto the driveway. They were scattered across the yard, too. Billy loved watching Papa work. (1.1.26)
Sounds like art is a hodge-podge event around the Miller house. Papa loves making art and he's not putting too many rules in place—instead he likes to work with odds and ends from all over, and it turns out that he makes some seriously unique art. Plus, keep an eye out for how art becomes a cool bonding experience for Billy and his pops.
Quote #2
"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)
Papa can be a poetic guy. When he looks at the pieces he's collected from the local garbage dump, he doesn't call them trash—nope, he dubs them "lovely bits of rummage." What do you think of Papa's tone here? Does he sound sarcastic to you, or is he being sincere? And what makes this rummage "lovely" anyway? Let's hope Billy has some answers.
Quote #3
"I like it," said Billy. "What is it?"
"Good question," Papa replied.
Before them stood the broken-down cello Papa had found at the dump. He'd attached four store-mannequin arms to the cello, two on each side.
"It looks like the cello is playing itself," said Billy.
Papa nodded thoughtfully.
"And it sort of reminds me of a spider," said Billy. (2.1.21-26)
If you ask us, Billy seems like a pretty great art critic. He dives right into interpreting Papa's new creations, like the four-armed cello in the garage. And we're totally on board with what Billy has to say. In fact, looking at Papa's art has us realizing that Billy is a really creative guy, too. Maybe he takes after his old man more than he knows.
Quote #4
Billy had been so focused on his own diorama, wrapped in a cocoon of concentration, that he hadn't paid much attention to Ned's or Sal's. When he finally checked them out, a sinking feeling took hold of him.
Papa had helped Ned make an ocean from different shades of blue tissue paper, which he'd crinkled and layered. And, because Ned had used real seashells and the store-bought sharks, his diorama looked professional. […]
Sal's diorama looked great, too. […]
In comparison, Billy felt that his project looked like it was made by a two-year-old.
Sal watched Billy scrutinize his diorama. "Mine's better, she said. "Ned's, too." (2.2.24-28)
Making art can be a mighty tough task, and comparison can be the enemy. Before Billy looks at Ned's and Sal's dioramas, he's feeling okay about his own, but once he gets a chance to hold his artwork up against his little sister's and his pal's, poor Billy feels like the pits. Why do you think the comparison is so harsh for Billy? How does comparison stifle his feelings of pride in his art?
Quote #5
Laid out on the table in Papa's work area were several wooden cigar boxes. Each one had various items placed inside it. The inside of one resembled a landscape, another a city. One looked like a funny face with mismatched watch dial eyes, a doorknob nose, and a black plastic comb mustache. The boxes were in differing stages of completion. […]
"They're dioramas!" said Billy. He grinned. "I helped you—I gave you the idea."
"You did," said Papa, smiling. "And I thank you." (2.5.14, 16-17)
Artists of the world, we'd like you to meet your newest muse: Billy Miller. He's chock-full of good ideas and he's ready to share them with artists like his dad. This collaborative effort makes us feel all warm and gooey inside, and it reminds us that sometimes inspiration doesn't come from within but from other people.
Quote #6
"You tell a story with them. And you move them around. Like this." Sal slid off her bed, pulling the Drop Sisters with her. She placed them in a circle on the floor. She picked up Raindrop and swooped her back and froth through the air. "One day Raindrop flew. 'I'm a bird! I'm a bird!'" (3.4.28)
If you think artistic talent is limited to the more mature characters in this book, then you've got another thing coming. There are loads of different ways to create art, and this is Sal's way: She likes to tell stories about her stuffed animals, the Drop Sisters, and she thinks the tales are pretty fantastic.
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?
Quote #10
It's quiet but it's not, thought Billy. Then he thought of the dead bird, and all the noises mixed together and grew louder in his head. Mama squeezed his shoulders. "Of all the things I like, quiet might be my favorite."
A light moved slowly across the sky, far, far away. A lot of what Mama had said sounded like a poem. Billy hoped he could remember enough of it to write something down. The world ticked and hummed and rushed around them. And they stood together a bit longer in the darkness. (4.3.41-42)
By the end of book, Billy's attitude toward poetry has shifted. Not long ago he thought it was the worst work in the world, but Billy does a switcheroo when he discovers that writing poetry can happen just by paying a wee bit more attention to the world. Who knew there're so many things that can inspire a poem? Well with a little inspiration from his mom (and, you know, a dead bird), Billy's good to go.