A reluctant talker (Metaphor)
Noah is rather silent today. He still can’t believe the things he saw in the zoo and start worrying that he is going crazy. He is deep in thoughts when Ella joins him at the end of the long table in the cafeteria. Finding this situation rather amusing and being slightly annoyed with his reluctance to speak, the girl asks him, “cat got your tongue?” Ella knows that three of them are very close and they can tell each other absolutely everything, that’s why Noah’s silence irritates, upsets and awakes her curiosity at the same time.
A disturbing situation (Metaphor)
Ella and Richie like bickering, but today they have nothing to argue over. On the contrary, they both agree that Noah seems to be strange today. When Richie says that “looks like something’s been rocking Noah’s ark”, he means that something troubles Noah’s mind and doesn’t let him be his normal self.
Critical (Metaphor)
Although the Action Scouts are very good friends, they are all very different. When Ella starts scolding Richie for a lost torch, he doesn’t react, for he is too familiar with her “sharp tongue”. It seems that the girl can come up with a witty remark in a blink of an eye. It is better to think twice before engaging in a quarrel with her.
Blue-skinned (Simile)
When Ella and Riche get to the Inside of the Zoo, they have to deal with a large number of obstacles. For instance, they have to cross the barren plain. It seems to be a pretty easy task, but it worth mentioning that there is no light at all. As soon as they manage to do that, they have to waste several minutes to help their eyes to adjust to bright light. Every time Ella closes and opens her eyes, everything around her changes its color, even Richie. When she sees him with blue skin, she says that he looks “like a Smurf”, for one of the most peculiar features of this imaginary character is blue skin.
Motionless (Simile)
When the Action Scouts notice a huge polar bear standing in from of them, they are rather frightened. Noah thinks that they look “like statues”, for they don’t move and it even seems that they don’t breath. Seized with horror, they are absolutely motionless.
Huge (Simile)
Only when Blizzard, the polar bear, appears in from of the Action Scouts, does Noah realize how “massive Blizzard” is. The bear’s legs are “like tree trunks” and his head is “as big as a beach ball”. If Blizzard wanted to hurt them, nothing could prevent him from doing it.
