Chameleon, Chameleon

by Joy Cowley, Nic Bishop (Photographer)

This companion to award-winning RED-EYED TREE FROG gives young readers an amazing close-up view of the colorful, quirky chameleon. Experience close-up the many moods (and colors) of chameleons. One brave chameleon ventures from the safety of his tree in search of a new home. On his journey, he meets other rain forest animals, not all of them friendly! Alas, the new tree he chooses is already home to another chameleon. She dons her aggressive coloring until she's sure that the visitor is friend, not foe. Then they welcome each other with brilliant, happy colors.Incredible photographs and simple text perfect for young children is rounded out with informative backmatter on one of the planet's most captivating creatures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Science, Storytime, School

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2005

About the author

Cassia Joy Cowley is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy.

Reviews

[Jolynne Dougherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unfamiliar with the writing of Joy Cowley and the photographs of Nic Bishop. I will definitely look for more of their works. The photographs are outstanding. Bright and vibrant colors and a very accessible text. It's a favorite that I use in my preschool storytimes.

[Debbie Reiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Crowley with photographs by Nic Bishop is a nonfiction children’s book. The intended age group for this book is nursery to intermediate. The book shows the movement, interactions, and prey of the chameleon.
I liked that this book could reach a variety of audiences. I liked the organization; it made it feel like we walked through the day of a chameleon. The pictures were bright colored and caught details like the open toes on the chameleon, the scales and colors, and the motion of the eyes. I feel it could reach a younger audience with the pictures and the few words on the page that could be read to a child that has an interest in reptiles. The vocabulary could be a little difficult for a child learning to read, but it still addressed the older crowd with more information at the end. After all of the big, bright pictures, there is a “Did you know?” section. I liked this for older children because it gave more details to the facts that were kind of outlined in the book. It even explained how the pictures were taken and that they used captive animals for these photos.

[(NS) - Heather Hayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures highlight this book that follows several chameleons throughout a typical day. During this time, readers pay a visit to their homes, learn how they catch their prey and how it is eaten. You even get a glimpse at how they react to one another. If readers can't sem to get enough of this simply written narrative, Joy Cowley packs in a ton of factual information within her authors note. While recommended primarily for elementary children, this exquisite book is bound to draw upon all ages.

[Madison Overway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's informational nonfiction book that starts with a colorful chameleon in a tree looking for food. He runs into a gecko but keeps moving along. He finally gets to the ground and looks for danger. He sees a tiny chameleon and harmless frog. Then he runs into a scorpion, he carefully creeps by because the scorpion is poisonous. He finds a new safe tree and climbs up slowly. He finds a caterpillar and eats it. There is another chameleon in the tree, and she is angry. She sees he is friendly, and she welcomes him to stay. I would have this in my class for a fun and informational read for my students.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressively engaging and educational, despite being very short and simple. The two good author's notes help, but so does the photography that tells a large part of the 'story' of this chameleon's adventure. It makes me want to learn more, as now I have lots of questions.

I found it particularly interesting that it was the other critters in the environment were using color for camouflage; apparently those kinds of chameleons who use color actually do so to signal mood. (And yes, there are different kinds of chameleons.)

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly done all with captive chameleons

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The photographs were pretty, but I wasn't a fan of the story. I thought it was too choppy.
This would definitely be loved by children who like to look through pictures of animals though!

[Karen Dransfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about chameleon looking for food and the creatures he meets along the way. Such great photographs by Nic Bishop.

[Sydney Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite fascinating!

[Jacob Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teaches children about the color-changing abilities of chameleons in a fun and engaging way.

[Evie Milburn]

Title: Chameleon, Chameleon
Author: Joy Cowley
Illustrator: Nic Bishop
Genre: Photographic Essay
Theme(s): Chameleons, movement, nature, animals, colors
Opening line/sentence: The chameleon rests in his tree.
Brief Book Summary: This is a story of a chameleon lurking around Madagascar trying to remain safe from his predators and finding some food of his own to eat. His find a caterpillar to fill his appetite and then meets a fellow chameleon in the tree that changes colors and becomes friends with him.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Lisa B. C. O Connell (Children's Literature)
This book allows children to see a chameleon up close through the use of its incredible photographs. It is a story with few words as the photos colorfully tell the story. The photos follow a male panther chameleon on a typical day s adventure. This type of chameleon is native to the tropical rain forests of Madagascar. The chameleon leaves the safety of a tree in search of food. He has to be very careful as he is now easy prey. On his cautious journey he encounters a gecko, two tiny chameleons, a tiny frog, a scorpion, and a big caterpillar--food! Through the use of photos it is easy to see how the chameleon changes colors depending on its mood. There is a Did You Know? section that describes the chameleon in greater detail. A note from the photographer explains how the photos were taken. This book would be a wonderful addition to any elementary school s library or science curriculum.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Timnah Card (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, April 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 8))
The Blue Ribbon-winning duo of Cowley and Bishop (see Red-Eyed Tree Frog, BCCB 3/99) returns to their format of gleaming photographs and brief lines of text to chronicle the slow progress of a chameleon from one tree to another in search of food. The sentences are vigorous phrases ( What s this?/ A scorpion!/ Watch out, chameleon!/ The scorpion s stinger/ is poisonous ) presented in large font for easy reading; they occasionally trail across multiple pages, matching the action of the photographs and forming a narrative that develops the primary chameleon into a sympathetic character. In luminous stills that capture the journey moment by moment, two startlingly hideous geckos, a garish tree frog, a tiny chameleon, and a hostile scorpion disturb the main character s equanimity as his telescopic eyes swivel to evaluate all potential threats. The reptilian traveler is shown in postures that point up the drama of his expedition (his refined tiptoeing past a scorpion is choice), creating by their visual continuity a sense of movement usually found in film. An impressive series of photos show the chameleon using its powerful tongue to snatch a caterpillar off a distant branch, then chewing and gulping its prey before being menaced by a defensive female chameleon. Youthful nature buffs will be entranced by the vivid photography, enticed into reading by the attractive brevity of the energetic text, and intrigued by the surprising facts about chameleons and the photographer s methodology related in the informational pages at the end of the book.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: These reviews do a wonderful job of summarizing this photographic essay. I love how they detailed the energy in this book. Even as I was reading this book I felt a sense of suspense and felt as if I was there with the chameleon lurking through Madagascar.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Cowley and Bishop did a great job with this simple yet well written and illustrated photographic essay. The photos make you feel as if you are right there with the chameleon and the suspense and energy portrayed through the pictures is stunning. Bishop does a wonderful job using his pictures to portray exactly what is going on in each line of the text. He also does a wonderful job of portraying the moods of the chameleon with the changing colors of their skin. One of my favorite lines in this book is “step….by step….by step”. The energy and mood created in these simple words help you connect to how the chameleon is feeling in that exact moment. This book also creates a sense of realism with the photographic artwork. This photographs make you feel as if you are with the chameleon in the rain forrest.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would love to use this book in my classroom during a science lesson. I think it’s important to teach our students about the incredible way chameleons change the colors of their skin based on their moods. I think I would use this book to introduce the science topic of chameleons and how animals adapt in the wild. After we reach this book as a class we can brainstorm and come up with other animals and how they adapt in the wild. Then we can dig into some research and see what we learn!

[Samantha Sharp]

A chameleon ventures from tree to tree and encounters other animals as he is in search of food.

[Kathleen Lance]

Chameleon, Chameleon is a book about, you guessed it, chameleons. In this book we read about how chameleons change color, choose their mate, fight of predators, what they prey on, and where they live.

I think that the author does a great job with this book because she brings the science world down to where it's interesting for kids to want to read the material, but not too much that it's over their heads. The pictures are so pretty of the chameleons and their color changing forms.

I think this book would be great in a classroom, especially if you had a classroom pet as a chameleon. My 2nd grad teacher's pet was a chameleon and we read a book similar to this just before we got to see him. Over the next few months we would put different kinds of paper in his tank to see if he would change to that color and then would document our findings in our scientific research journals. This would be a fun project for the whole class to participate in.

[Dalton Dettbarn]

This is a good book to teach kids a little bit about chameleons.

[Kristen Eckhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Category/Genre: Non-Fiction/Picture Book
Age Level: K-3rd Grade
Reading Level: 2.9 (grade)

“Chameleon, Chameleon” is an awe-inspiring look into the world of its subject. Joy Cowley (well-known for her writing for early readers) provides spare, sometimes predictable text that matches and is extended by Nic Bishop’s exquisite color photography of a chameleon as he goes about his journey to find food. Children and grown-ups can learn so much from this book—its beautiful simplicity leaves one amazed at this creature and it’s rain forest habitat.

2 characteristics that make this book a quality Non-Fiction book for young children:
-“…visual materials play a vital part by focusing interest and clarifying or extending information.” (Huck, p.255)
The photography in this book is technically exquisite and always extends the author’s simple text. For instance, on a page that introduces the gecko as part of the chameleon’s environment, two pictures are shown—one portrays the gecko completely camouflaged and the other shows it quite visible on a tree branch, allowing the reader to understand that this creature, too, has interesting traits like its chameleon neighbor.
-It is important that non-fiction books shared with children are accurate. This book’s 2005 copyright marks it as fairly recent. The illustrator also explains how he got his pictures in an end note; one is assured of the accuracy and validity of the photographs (and thereby the text supported by these photos) via this explanation.

This book is appropriate for early elementary audiences because of its layout and subject matter. The large, colorful photographs draw the viewer in on every page, and the text is not too long or over-indulged with details to overwhelm a young reader. Much is left to the mind by hearing/reading the factual writing and then looking at the incredible clarity of each picture. And, chameleons are totally fascinating, in my opinion! Offering interesting non-fiction topics to young children sparks their interest and wonder in the world, and that is a hallmark of a good student. Ultimately, as teachers and librarians we are trying to keep hope alive in this world by providing all kinds of information to our constituents—a book like “Chameleon, Chameleon” will capture the attention of young audiences, for sure.

Find published reviews at: http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=d...

[Maria Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Cowley is an example of informational text. The story is a short read and it describes a typical chameleon’s day. The book starts by describing the chameleon and his “peaceful colors”. The story goes on and follows the chameleon on a quest for food. Along the way, the chameleon encounters other little critters that live in the same habitat. The book ends with the chameleon accomplishing its mission. The last few pages are dedicated to a ‘Did You Know’. The ‘Did You Know’ page describes all the critters mentioned in the story and gives extra information about these animal’s behaviors and characteristics.

The photographer of this book is Nic Bishop. Bishop provides beautiful photographs of the chameleon in its natural habitat. All photographs are bright and very intriguing. The photographs are strategically placed on the pages of the book. Some photographs are larger than other pictures to signify more importance. The pages themselves, are earthy colors like green, yellow, and oranges which match the nature theme. The text is large and bold and placed on blank areas of the pages as to not distract from the photographs. The text explains what the photographs are showing.

I think this is a great book to introduce informational text to young readers. Although it is very short, the book is full of fascinating information. The amazing photographs are sure to captivate young reader’s eyes. I would definitely recommend this book to early readers. Even if they can’t read fluently, this book is sure to help their fluency by guiding them with the photographs.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Booklist
*Starred Review* K-Gr. 2. The team that created Red-Eyed Tree Frog (1999) offers another stunning photo-essay, this one featuring a panther chameleon native to the tropical rain forests of Madagascar. Crisp, clear, full-color photos portray this reptile and its habitat as it searches for food, carefully climbing down one tree and moving across the forest floor to another tree that is full of caterpillars. The deceptively simple narrative draws children right in as the creature navigates the forest, judging the safety of other organisms it encounters. "What's this? A scorpion! Watch out, chameleon! The scorpion's stinger is poisonous." The layout is exceptionally attractive, with the photos set against lime, yellow, and orange backgrounds. A text suitable for a slightly older audience and a note from the photographer explaining how the pictures were taken (these were captive animals and some of the photos were stitched together using a computer) round out an informative, thoughtfully produced science book that will be popular with a wide range of animal lovers. Excellent for browsing as well as learning. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

I LOVED this book, in part because of the gorgeous photographs by Nic Bishop, but also because of the readability level. This is a great book for younger readers that will capture their attention and make them want to read this over and over again independently. Great book!

[Chelsea Yarworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chameleon Chameleon is a non fiction book for grades kindergarten through fifth grade because there is a lot of information for students learning about chameleons and other camouflaged animals. This story has two awards named the Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award and the Black Eyed Susan Award. The story is about a male chameleon in a tropical rain forests which goes through his daily adventures. The chameleon leaves his home in search of food and he now realizes that he is prey to others. He also experiences an encounter with a female chameleon that is very defensive but has a great ending. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars because the story be mainly told through pictures. There isn’t more than a sentence on a page. Also, the photographs are very realistic of the chameleons and their habitats are the main focus of this book. The chameleon is the main character but he encounters several animals throughout the story. I also enjoyed the illustrator note at the end of the book which explains how he got his pictures. I feel that would be enjoyable for the kids to read. I would read this story in my class if we due a unit on studying reptiles or camouflage but other than that, i would set it out for independent reading.

[Lindsey]

Chameleon chameleon is a nonfiction book directed toward early young readers. Chameleon chameleon is a childrens picture book that tells facts about chameleons through a story about the daily life of a chameleon. Readers can learn about the camouflaging process chameleons use to avoid predators. Readers can also learn about chameleon’s predators, what animals are not harmful to chameleons, and what animals chameleons should avoid. The story tells readers where chameleons can be found in the world, and where chameleons live. Readers can also learn about the chameleon’s diet and nutrition. Readers are also exposed to different types of chameleons throughout the book, while learning the difference between each. This book is directed toward early young readers because there isn’t more than a sentence on each page. The realistic photographs of chameleons and their habitats are the primary and main focus of this book; telling the story through pictures, while simple text is provided to reinforce the pictures. I would use this book in my classroom as an independent reader book or a partner reads book where my students can choose whether they would like to read the book or not.

[Mallori Allphin]

Chameleon Chameleon is a children’s book written by Joy Cowley. Readers are able to follow a chameleon on his journeys. The illustrations are breathtaking and the focal point of the book. The book uses few words and mainly pictures to communicate with the reader. The story follows a male panther chameleon, which is a native in the tropical rain forests of Madagascar, through his daily adventures. The chameleon is nervous as he leaves his home in search of food. He is very tense and anxious as he now realizes that he is prey to others. During his adventure, the chameleon encounters several animals that could be considered his prey; such as a gecko, a tiny frog, and a very big caterpillar! He also experiences an encounter with a female chameleon that is very defensive. Fortunately for the male chameleon, the female realizes peaceful demeanor and accepts the male chameleon. Cowley also takes the reader through an adventure between a scorpion and the chameleon. Overall, readers are able to understand the daily adventures of a male panther chameleon.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nic Bishop, the illustrator of this book has his doctorate in biology and had the chameleons live with him so he could study and capture their actions.
The information is presented in a fun and organized way, going through the natural day's activity for a chameleon. Further, the end of the books includes additional, factual information on chameleons.

The book is simply formatted with one image (on most pages) and a caption for the image. The images are simply and brightly colored, with one subject per image, described by the caption. The writing style is simple and clear. Simple sentences, all one subject (the chameleon) and transitions chronologically through the chameleon's day.


Reading level: PK-2nd grade. This book is definitely aimed at younger readers with its simple story line and minimal words per page.

[David Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of a nonfiction book about Chameleons for the early primary grades. Beautiful, detailed glossy photographs by Nick Bishop gives the reader invaluable information. This non fiction book doesn't just throw boring facts at the reader. Instead, it tells a story in a non fiction way about how the chameleon and how he is looking for food and a new home.

A great example of readable and engaging informational text. Pictures are gorgeous. Facts skillfully woven in with the narrative. And straight up expository facts in the back. This can be a great example of how a children's book can be engaging and fun for children. The realistic pictures are a good way for the book to be seen as a work of nonfiction.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a book has the name "Nic Bishop" on it, you know it's going to have amazing photographs. If a book has the name "Joy Cowley" on it, you know it's going to be filled with rich, accessible text. What a combo when you put the two together!
The photos in this book are just amazing. The colors of the chameleon, the photo of him catching his food. Kids will spend time looking at these. Cowley has done an excellent job talking about prey and predators without making it difficult for the young readers this book is intended for.
Great additional facts about chameleons are included at the end. I particularly enjoyed the notes about how the photography was done!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chameleon Chameleon by Joy Cowley is an informational book about chameleons. In this book, th chameleon travels from tree to tree looking for food. The chameleon makes his way through the trees and encounters various animals like geckos, frogs, and a another chameleon.

The story itself isn't very informational, minus showing the basic functions of chameleons. They show the changing colors based on mood and how they hunt. There is a informational section in the back explain the different types of chameleon and when they choose to change their colors. Overall, it is a book meant for younger readers.

[AnnaBnana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like Nic Bishop's Spiders, I thought the pictures in this book were really incredible. I thought the text was easy enough for a beginning reader or it could also work for a story time about animals. I thought it was interesting that Cowley admits to doctoring/photoshoping the pictures. I'm not necessarily sure how I feel about that in an informational book. I understand that you likely can't get what you want in the animals' natural habitat, but it does feel somewhat dishonest to photoshop the chameleons together--even if you told me you did it. Just something I was thinking about...

[Sally Deem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story tells about a chameleon's adventure finding food during the day and the dangers he encounters in the forest while trying to find a meal. He avoids being harmed by other lizards and a scorpion and finally finds a big, juicy caterpillar to eat. The photographs in this story are what bring the most interest to the book. There are also many facts added to the end of the book in the section titled Did You Know? Kids would love hearing this story about chameleons and the many interesting facts about them.

[Cemeread]

This non-fiction book is a good choice to add with pictures books about chameleons. The photographs are excellent. Delighted eews will follow the tongue grabbing the caterpillar and the munching photos. The photographs are well sized, and the text size is larger than average,but there's not too much text for younger children. Look and find skills are engaged as geckos are introduced in the photo environment. The very important Did You Know section is found in the end pages for those sure to follow questions. It's fun impressing your audience with your vast knowledge.

[Paul Farbman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very action- packed picture book that chronicles one chameleon's journey to find food. Real photographs are used as opposed to illustrations. The photos work together with the text creating a unique effect. For example, as the chameleon climbs down the tree " step, by step by step", the text is paired with photographs of him taken at different angles. This makes the chameleon's motion seem more realistic.

I thought that the picture of the chameleon eating the caterpillar was interesting, but a little graphic for young children.

[Genee121 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Chameleon, Chameleon, written by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Nic Bishop, readers can experience up close and personal the various colors and moods of chameleons as well as the movement, interactions and prey of chameleons. The book highlights several chameleons and a typical day for them. Readers can see the homes of chameleons, learn how they catch and eat their prey. The illustrations by Nic bishop are brilliant. I loved how he used real photos instead of illustrations, simply brilliant.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow a chameleon as he leaves his tree home in search of a meal and encounters other camouflaged critters in his neighborhood.

A great nonfiction picture book introduction to chameleons and other camouflaging animals. As always, Nic Bishop's photography is amazing. Be sure to read the notes in the back of the book about chameleons and how long it took Bishop to photograph this book due to the sensitive nature of these animals. A great book to use when studying reptiles or camouflage with lower grades.