Clever Chameleon

Picture Book
Title: Clever Chameleon
Author/Illustrator: Ali Lodge
Age Level: 3-7
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary


This book takes you on a trip through the jungle, led by a game of hide and seek by an elephant, and helps you see all the different ways that animals hide and blend into their natural surroundings. We come to learn that the chameleon has the best camouflage of them all.


Opinion


I loved this book!  This book was one that really drew my attention because of the clever rhyming and that it talked about different animals in the jungle because I used to love reading about animals in their habitats and still do.  I thought that the illustrations really made this book pop.  The colors were so vibrant and the animals seemed to jump off the page.  The drawing was also taken to the edge of the page so I think that added to the affect of the jungle being so large.  Ali Lodge's illustrations were acrylic-based but she used a variety of media, from watercolor pencils to computer-generated paint effects and I think that they all worked together really well and made the book very aesthetically appealing.  I also think that the book was very cleverly put together.  The chameleon, who is last to be found on the hide-and-seek hunt, is secretly placed on every page, using a particular camouflage that blends in with the rest of the scenery and it is the readers job to find him on each page.  This allows for an engaging activity with the readers and brings the book to life.

This book would definitly be one that I would use in my classroom because it provides a lesson on the different ways animals blend and hide in their surroundings as well as shows some characteristics of certain animals.  It is also a very engaging book and one that can be used with younger kids extremely well.  I think that this books gives children the chance to use their five senses while reading and would be a great follow up activity for children to do.  I also think that some fun art projects could come out of this book such as making stuffed paper animals that are in the jungle and have the students represent the different characteristics of the animals in their drawing.