how pale and insignificant those crude representations were

I used to read The Onion every week as soon as it came on line at the end of the workday on Tuesday. My interest had been fading until the Bush White House did our beloved satirists the favor of sending them a cease and desist letter regarding their use of the Presidential Seal in their parodies of Bush's weekly radio address. This wonderful bit of free publicity inspired me to go back to The Onion's page, where I saw a article by young Edwin Bauer in their community voices section, entitled "Fire Truck! Fire Truck! Fire Truck!" It begins thusly:

Look, out the window! A fire truck! I've seen drawings of fire trucks in my picture books, of course, but how could I have ever known how pale and insignificant those crude representations were in comparison to the real thing! Fire truck! Oh, great God in heaven, fire truck! This has got to be the most moving of mankind's creations, and perhaps of nature's, as well.

Read the whole thing, and understand your toddler better.