Book of the Month: A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

A Color of His Own

by Leo Lionni

This is a story of a lonely chameleon that changes colors with its surroundings.  He is saddened that he will never be like other animals and have a color of his own.  So he decides that he will sit on a green leaf so have his own color.  As the seasons change, the leaf changes into golden fall colors. Eventually the leaf falls to the dark ground.  So he changes to black and disappears into the the darkness of winter.  When spring arrives, he runs into an older wiser chameleon and asks him if he too wishes he had a color of his own.  The older chameleon offers his companionship, friendship and together they change colors.  Each page has illustrations that focus on different colors, patterns, and camouflage, giving a great opportunity to reinforce colors with children. 

Image Credit: Pieces by Polly

Color Changing Chameleon
This idea comes from Pieces by Polly.  All you need to do is trace the chameleon image off the book onto a piece of wax paper.   Have the kids explore different surfaces and colors with their chameleon. A simple and great activity to go along with the book.

We end this review with a video of the story. We hope you enjoy and we'll see you next Month for a new book to explore!