“Well, maybe I'm not as stupid as I look. After all, I guessed what you were thinking, didn't I? You have just learned the first lesson in perfection. Things are not always what they seem.”

These words on the first page of Dr. Silverfish’s book speak directly to the thoughts that Milo has when he sees the author’s picture on the back cover. In the picture, Dr. Silverfish is dressed bizarrely, eating a hot dog, and has mustard dripping down his chin. According to societal norms, he looks “stupid,” and that is exactly how Milo judges him until Milo reads this first paragraph. As the book progresses, Milo learns not to worry about being judged, and the last page of the book describes Milo happily eating a sandwich at school with mustard dripping down his chin.

“Milo couldn’t stand it. ‘I bet you’d love me if I turned perfect.’”

Milo has not read Dr. Silverfish’s book yet, but he has been thinking about the prospect of becoming perfect. This quote is taken from the evening before he begins Dr. Silverfish’s program, and it captures the moment he decides to commit to it. Milo is talking to his family in this quote. They are all at the dinner table, and Milo’s family criticizes him for several reasons. After his exclamation, his family laughs and carries on with their usual lighthearted conversation, not realizing that Milo is serious.