Chameleon's Colors Book

What if lions had stripes and elephants had polka dots and . . . ?

Chameleon is tired of blending in wherever he goes. How much fun it would be to paint himself—and everyone else—in checks and spots and stripes!

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz - Children's Literature

Chameleon is tired of changing colors. His friends sometimes do not even see him. He is surprised when Hippo tells him he would like to be a different color, and is happy to oblige him by painting him pink. He then offers to paint any of the other animals who would like a change. At first they are happy with their new colors, but then the complaints begin. Angrily they chase after Chameleon. Just as he is at the edge of a high cliff, a thunderstorm washes all the animals back to their normal color. And Chameleon is content to be "normal" as well. The beginning end-papers depict Chameleon at ease amid matching lush green leaves. The end pages show many lizards matching the night-time blue leaves under a half moon. Large, double-page jungle scenes resound with textured colors and patterns. The simplified animal shapes make a ready canvas for the decorations. The scene of the mass of creatures running jubilant in the night is wild, while that of the downpour at the cliff confrontation is dramatic. The moral is, of course, self-evident. 2003, Michael Neugebauer/North-South Books, Ages 4 to 8.