Never Seen a Face Smile and Shake Itself No (Visual Imagery)
When some older boys take Zinkoff's giraffe hat from him, Zinkoff goes forward to reclaim the hat as his. One of the older boys informs Zinkoff that the hat in fact belongs not to Zinkoff but to him. Spinelli immerses the reader in Zinkoff's innocent perspective: “Zinkoff just stares up. He is fascinated by the boy’s face. He has never seen a face smile and shake itself no at the same time.” In this example of visual imagery, Spinelli conveys how Zinkoff is puzzled by the boy's expression, as Zinkoff is unfamiliar with the cruelty and condescension the boy's face conveys.
Stitches in His Stomach Tingling (Tactile Imagery)
When Zinkoff is made to stay home from school while recovering from surgery, he invents a game of seeing how far he can go down the basement steps toward the "furnace monster" he imagines lives in the darkness. Zinkoff inevitably needs to turn and run back upstairs. In one instance, Spinelli writes: “Back up the stairs and into the kitchen, into its glorious familiar light, the stitches in his stomach tingling.” In this example of tactile imagery, Spinelli immerses the reader in Zinkoff's experience by describing the sensation of "tingling" Zinkoff has as his body is flooded with anxiety in response to the furnace monster coming alive.
A High Squeal (Auditory Imagery)
Aside from being a mailman, Zinkoff's father is notable for his tendency to buy cheap used cars he repairs with tape and bubble gum. In one scene, Spinelli writes that “Zinkoff hears Clunker Four long before he sees it. It makes a high squeal that reminds him of elephants in the movies. He runs to the curb as the car rounds the corner and rattles to a stop.” In this example of auditory imagery, Spinelli emphasizes the comical disrepair of Zinkoff's father's car by describing its squealing and rattling.
Peanut Butter and Bread (Gustatory Imagery)
When the elderly woman who lives on Willow Street invites Zinkoff in and offers to make him a sandwich, she realizes she has run out of jam and jelly. She makes him a plain peanut butter sandwich and asks Zinkoff to pretend there is sweet jelly on it. However, Zinkoff finds it difficult to imagine: “He really does try to pretend, but all he tastes is peanut butter and bread.” In this example of gustatory imagery, Spinelli emphasizes the lack of jelly on the sandwich by describing the plain taste of peanut butter on bread.
