Leon the Chameleon

by Mélanie Watt, Mélanie Watt (Illustrator)

Overview

Leon the chameleon has a problem. When the other little chameleons turn green, yellow or blue — he turns red, purple or orange! Leon doesn’t turn the opposite color on purpose. He just can’t help it. Being different makes Leon feel lonely.

One day, the little chameleons go exploring and lose their way. As the parents anxiously search for their little ones, they suddenly spot a speck of color far off in the distance. It’s Leon! And thanks to his brilliant hue, the little chameleons are rescued. This time, being different makes Leon feel proud!

Leon the Chameleon is a charming story that also explores the basic elements of color. At the end of the book, a color wheel displays primary colors and their complementary hues.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781553375272
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	02/28/2003
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.45(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Melanie Watt is an acclaimed children's book author and illustrator. Her books include the Scaredy Squirrel, Chester and Learning With Animals series, Augustine, Leon the Chameleon and Have I Got a Book for You! She lives near Montreal.

Melanie Watt is an acclaimed children's book author and illustrator. Her books include the Scaredy Squirrel, Chester and Learning With Animals series, Augustine, Leon the Chameleon and Have I Got a Book for You! She lives near Montreal.

Editorial Reviews

Watt's use of primary colors and bold black outlines makes this a good choice for storytimes ...—Quill & Quire

Young children will enjoy the brightly hued cartoon illustrations and will understand the message about appreciating differences.—School Library Journal

Watt debuts with a simple tale that is partly a celebration of physical differences and partly a lesson in color theory. Bright hues and simple shapes lend plenty of visual appeal to the illustrations, especially when the entire double-paged spread is one color (green, for instance) and Leon stands out like a sore thumb. These are the purest colors, too, strong and clear, a plus compared to what is often found in books on color.—Kirkus Reviews

... this is not only a comforting tale about being special but also a visually effective choice for children just learning colors.—Booklist

From the Publisher

? this is not only a comforting tale about being special but also a visually effective choice for children just learning colors.

Booklist

Watt’s use of primary colors and bold black outlines makes this a good choice for storytimes ?

Quill & Quire

Watt debuts with a simple tale that is partly a celebration of physical differences and partly a lesson in color theory. Because Leon turns red when he sits on a (green) leaf, purple on (yellow) sand, and orange in (blue) water, he feels like an outsider. But this trait makes him a hero when, trailing the other young chameleons far out into the desert, he turns green under the red setting sun and so is visible from far off to the grown-up lizards coming to the rescue. Bright hues and simple shapes lend plenty of visual appeal to the illustrations, especially when the entire double-paged spread is one color (green, for instance) and Leon stands out like a sore thumb. These are the purest colors, too, strong and clear, a plus compared to what is often found in books on color. Watts explicates the ideas of primary and complementary colors next to an appended color wheel with Leon's tongue serving as a pointer. Perfect for the Little Blue and Little Yellow set, or as an alternative to Ellen Stoll Walsh's Mouse Paint (1989). (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews