How we cite our quotes: (Page.Line)
Quote #1
But then, Kay saw a cat.
She gave it a pat,
and she said, "I want THAT!" (4.1-3)
At first, the task of choosing a pet seems easy. The narrator is smitten with a hand-shaking dog and wants to take him home. But then Kay finds a cat that she likes… and the whole thing starts to spiral out of control.
Quote #2
I might find a new one.
A fast kind of thing
who would fly round my head
in a ring on a string! (21.1-4)
When the narrator's exhausted the pet shop's inventory, he keeps going and creates his own fantastical creatures. Why not? Imaginary friends can make the best pets.
Quote #3
SO, maybe some other
good kind of pet.
Another kind maybe
is what we should get.
We might find a new kind.
A pet who is tall.
A tall pet who fits
in a space that is small. (22.1-8)
Would their mother really like a tall pet who fits into a space that's small? The kids seem to think so, but they haven't thought the pet's temperament through. Their mom might be happier with something simple like a goldfish.
Quote #4
If we had a big tent,
then we would be able
to take home a YENT!
Dad would like us
to have a good YENT.
BUT, how do I know
he would pay for a tent? (23.11-7)
Obviously, the problem with buying a yent is that they don't have a tent in which to house it and not the fact that the yent is a figment of their imagination and therefore doesn't exist.