Transformations
In Chapter 2, Peter swaps his human spirit with this quiet, purring family pet.
William the Cat.
"Would you like me to rub some cream on your back?"
Peter dusts his face with this baking ingredient to look sick so he can stay home alone and catch the burglar.
Flour.
"Aunt Laura’s face was as sheer and colossal as a cliff."
Simile (comparing Aunt Laura's face to a cliff using "as... as").
How does Peter's view of Barry Tamerlane change after he secretly looks inside Barry's house?
He realizes Barry is not an invincible bully, but just an ordinary, quiet boy who owns a teddy bear and helps his mum.
In Chapter 3, Peter pokes his finger into a small jar in the kitchen drawer, causing his finger—and later his family—to disappear.
The Vanishing Cream.
"Suppose you were just dreaming that you pinched yourself... Everything could be a dream and you would never know..."
Baby Kenneth causes chaos when he swallows this special school-winning object belonging to Peter.
The Green Gem marble.
"How was he expected to make great inventions when his family threw up these mountains of disorder?"
Hyperbole (exaggerating the family's mess as "mountains").
In Chapter 3, Peter wants his family to disappear because they annoy him. What does he realize after spending a lonely night by himself?
He realizes he actually loves his family and misses their company.
In Chapter 1, this ugly, pink, one-legged toy comes to life in the night to lead a rebellion against Peter.
The Bad Doll.
"If I shoot you, the photos will be discovered and I'll be caught."
Peter touches this cold, red object on the corridor wall to check if physical things are real or dreamed up.
A red fire extinguisher.
"From upstairs came a sound... a kind of squeaking, flip-flopping, squelching footstep..."
Onomatopoeia (sound words) or imagery
After swapping bodies with William the Cat, what does Peter learn about why old pets sleep so much during the day?
Peter realizes William isn't just "lazy." William is 17 years old, defended the garden in his youth, and earned his rest.
In Chapter 7, Peter wakes up during a seaside holiday in Cornwall and realizes his body has suddenly changed into this.
A 21-year-old grown-up / adult.
"I've got a teddy too and I have to help with the dishes."
While daydreaming that he is fighting off hungry wolves on a snowy mountain pass, Peter accidentally loses track of this person.
His sister, Kate.
"He was a magician, a maestro of theft. He was invisible, silent and weightless."
Metaphor (calling the burglar a "magician" and a "maestro").
Sitting on the beach in Cornwall, Peter is worried that growing up means losing all fun and play. What does he discover about adult life by the end of the story?
He learns that growing up isn't boring—it brings new magical experiences like falling in love, inventing things, and exploring the world.
In Chapter 6, Kate waves a toy wand and makes this sound to swap Peter's body with baby Kenneth's.
"Gaaaaa gaaaaa!"
"I'm not a monster... I'm all right really."
At the end of Chapter 3, Peter's family works together in the garden to build this machine using an old lawn-mower engine.
A hovercraft.
"Egginess exploded in his mouth, a white and yellow fountain of sensation shot upwards through his brain."
Imagery (describing the taste and texture of food through baby senses)
In the opening chapter, adults think Peter is "difficult" or "dull" because he is quiet. What major lesson does Peter learn as he grows older to bridge the gap between his mind and other people?
Peter realizes that since people cannot see inside your head, the best thing to do is tell them by writing down your daydreams into stories.