Yes," he said. "You were strong. You were brave. You were good. You mattered.

Homework, I have discovered, involves a sharp pencil and thick books and long sighs.

It's hard to put into words. Gorillas are not complainers. We're dreamers, poets, philosophers, nap takers.

My favorite color is rainbow.

Tobias asked. "Weird? Weird?" Marco crowed. "The talking bird wants to know if getting information on the location of an alien from a whale, that you've just saved from sharks, by turning into dolphins . . . You're suggesting that's weird?

A good zoo," Stella said, "is a large domain. A wild cage. A safe place to be. It has room to roam and humans who don't hurt." She pauses, considering her words. "A good zoo is how humans make amends.

I always tell the truth, Stella replies. Although I sometimes confuse the facts.