What do they mean in chapter 9, when they say...."it's as if they had slipped under a giant colander"it has to do with identifying similies and...

A colander is a kitchen tool. Shaped like a bowl, it has
many holes in it. Its purpose is to drain things like cooked spaghetti noodles or
rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables. If you were under said colander as it was draining
something, you'd be getting wet. Apparently the characters were under a tree or bush
that was shedding water in small streams. This shelter would be better than standing in
the pouring rain but not much better. This is an example of a simile because it uses the
word "as".