The chameleon thought his life was not very exciting. All he does is change color and eat flies. But one day he sees lots of beautiful animals at the zoo. He wants to be like them, and discovers he can change more than just his color – but this chameleon gets very mixed up!
In The Mixed-Up Chameleon
Your child will also be introduced to a new range of animals – polar bear, fish, turtle, flamingo, a fox, a deer, giraffe, elephant and seal – and their enviable features!
Like any other Eric Carle classic, this book is not without interactive elements. The cut out tabs in the book keep track of all the animals the chameleon gets mixed, producing a beautiful rainbow on the last page. The bright colors are sure to capture any child’s attention and imagination.
Tips for Parents
As well as the strong underlying messages, each page in The Mixed-Up Chameleon
- Discuss the characteristics of the chameleon – how it can change colour and why he would need to do this
- Ask your child if they could change color like the chameleon, what color would it be and why.
- Discuss the characteristics of each animal – the noise they make, colour, features.
- With each new feature the chameleon inherits, discuss why that would make it hard for the chameleon to do his normal things.
- This is a great opportunity to lay the foundation for future talks with your child – about the importance of being themselves and not needing to be like others. This might be even more relevant as your child starts going to school!
Eric Carle
Eric Carle was born in America in 1929 and is one of the world’s most popular authors for young children.
He writes and illustrates his own books and is known for his beautiful and colourful collage style illustrations.
His books have sold over 103 million copies, and even now, well into his 80s, he receives ten thousand pieces of fan mail from children every year.