THE KID AND THE CHAMELEON

Social and science lessons disguised in an early reader.

In this series opener, Tessy, a self-absorbed girl, meets a
chameleon named Newton. She wants to be friends, but only on her terms. Newton
is not so sure—especially when Tessy expects him to act like a kid. The
conflicts continue through five chapters. “Jars are not [his] thing”; “picnics
are not [his] thing,” either. But “rock sitting” and changing colors are not
her things. Sometimes the problem is language; sometimes the problem is because
they are different species. Eventually, they find something they can enjoy
together: watching the sun set and the moon rise. The second book in the
series, The Kid and the Chameleon
Sleepover (published simultaneously), gives readers six further chapters
about the conflicting views of these improbable friends. Kids who can get past
the heavy-handed message about respecting differences will benefit from the
practice reading short sentences (often of just one or two words) with
predictable parallel structures and simple repetitive vocabulary. Five to 10
lines of text per page are set in a large, well-leaded serif typeface against
mostly white backgrounds dotted with full-color illustrations. A final page of “Chameleon
Facts” explains the science alluded to in the story. Tessy has beige skin and
fluffy, brown hair.

Not as simpatico as Frog and Toad nor as clever
as Amelia Bedelia but useful for skill development. (Early reader. 5-8)