2 Figurative Languages (simile and metaphor)

p.11 and par.5

"He fired off shots as if his camera were a machine gun spitting bullets."

simile

This passage is a simile passage, because the camera is compared to a gun spitting bullets.

Why did the author choose to compare the camera to a gun spitting bullets?  The author used this simile, to show how intense Jack was using his camera to take pictures of the alligator and turtle.  This simile illustrates on how fast and how many pictures Jack was taking at the moment.

p.22 and par.5

"He didn't want to pull his eyes away for even a second; magically, the dolphins disappeared into the water, only reappear like the flash of needles through satin."

simile

This passage is a simile passage, because the authors use the word like to compare the dolphins and needle through satin.

Why do you think the authors choose to use a needle through satin to relate to the dolphins?  I feel this choice of an simile gives us the readers a good visual on how smoothly and easily the dolphins swim in and out of the ocean.

Descriptive

p.16 and par.8

"Me!  When Frankie smiled, the skin around her mouth crinkled into dozens of wrinkles that connected to other dozens of wrinkles that connected to other dozens of wrinkles in her sun-browned cheeks.  She was small, barely over five feet two, and dressed in a red-and-white-striped shirt that hung over cutoff jeans.

descriptive

This passage is an excellent example of descriptive writing, because of the great detail the authors go into explaining Frankie and how she looks.

What does this passage add to the story?  This passage gives a good visual to the readers in how Frankie looks and dresses.  Now, as we read on into the book we can have a good mental image on how Frankie looks.

Informational

p.14 and par.14

"Not your kind of cows,' Steven answered, laughing. 'Sea cow is just another name for manatee, and not a very accurate name.  Manatees are distant relatives of get this! of elephants."

informational

The above informational passage is good for readers to know, because it gives us background information on manatees, on which the whole book is surrounded on.

Why do think the authors choose to put this informational passage in the book.  I believe that the authors put this information into the book, because not only do they want us to enjoy reading their book but learn at the same time.  This is also an interesting fact about manatees that probably not many people know about.