While Ernst's practical big brother Sol collects rocks, string, and feathers, seashells, leaves, and a plastic dinosaur without a head, Ernst collects the intangible reflections he finds in "'Slippery puddles, smooth puddles, lemony, lettery cool puddles.'" Later, the gentle blue crocodile uses the collection of puddles in his puddle pail to paint watercolors of all the beautiful things he has seen all day.