A bright, eye-catching jungle landscape leaps from every page in this hilarious rhyming picture book by Patricia Hegarty and Jonny Lambert. Alongside the giggles and fun however, lies an important message for us all. We can all learn from the antics and eventual comeuppance of the wily reptile at the centre of this story.
Chameleon is a crafty trickster who cleverly uses his colour changing ways to prank his unsuspecting animal friends. Poor old elephant is scared by a booing rock; monkey’s banana is stolen by a flower with a long, thin, pink tongue; sloth is tickled by a leaf with eyes and so on. I bet you’re beginning to see (or not!) the pattern appearing here!
The cunning lizard goes about his mischief-maker ways with no thought for the feelings of those he is playing tricks on. He laughs at their misfortunes (caused by him) and can’t help but meddle in their business. A chance meeting with a frog sharing his camouflaging abilities leads to a catalogue of events that see the chameleon change his ways. For once, the joke is on him and he begins to understand the consequences of his actions. He doesn’t like it when the tables are turned leaving him feeling vulnerable and most of all, fooled.
Chameleon promises to change his ways, but somehow, the reader does not finish the story convinced that he will! His huge, green eyes and cheeky wide mouth with tongue outstretched definitely portray the face of a character that just can’t help but say BOO!
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