The poor kid might as well go home.
-- Tucker Mouse (Chapter 1 paragraph 5)

Importance: This quote reveals the fact that the Bellini's newsstand is struggling to survive, and that fact is not going unnoticed by either the Bellini fammily or those who watch unnoticed from the drain pipe.

He'll whistle to his friends - they'll come from all over - we'll have a houseful of cricketers.
-- Mama Bellini (Chapter 2 paragraph 20)

Importance: This quote reveals Mama Bellini's first reaction to Mario's new pet and her obvious distaste for the idea of keeping crickets, regardless of how lucky they are supposed to be.

A couple of tuffets away from my stump the meadow begins, and there was a whole bunch of people having a picnic.
-- Chester (Chapter 3 paragraph 29)

Importance: Chester tells the story of how he happened to find himself stuck on a train for New York when his home is in a stump in a Connecticut meadow.

In the country maybe, but in New York we...
-- Tucker Mouse (Chapter 4 paragraph 8)