Leon the Chameleon

by Mélanie Watt

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Canada, Storytime, Art, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2001

About the author

It was in a design class taught by Michèle Lemieux at the University of Quebec in Montreal that author and illustrator Mélanie Watt created her first picture book, Leon the Chameleon, which was later published by Kids Can Press. Watt went on to create several more books, including the Learning with Animals collection and Augustine, which was named an ALA Notable Children's Book. Watt has also illustrated Where Does a Tiger-Heron Spend the Night? and Bearcub and Mama, which won the 2006 IRA Teachers' Choices Project.

Mélanie's best known book Scaredy Squirrel, has won many awards including the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Children's Picture Book and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award. The release of Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, was met with enthusiastic reviews and incredible sales, confirming the arrival of kid lit's newest superstar.

Chester,Chester's Back! and Chester's Masterpiece are about a megalomaniac cat who is every bit the antithesis to Scaredy. Chester has already become a bestseller and shows the breadth and creativity of Mélanie Watt.

Scaredy returns to take a few more tentative steps out of his comfort zone in Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach and Scaredy Squirrel at Night. Mélanie has often noted how the Scaredy Squirrel books helped her work out her own insecurities and fears, as the success of these titles has required her to venture out into the unknown, and like Scaredy she has found the experience truly uplifting.

Mélanie currently resides near Montreal, Quebec.

~From http://www.kidscanpress.com/creators/...

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable children's book about Leon the Chameleon who always changes the opposite colour of his surroundings. He feels like an outsider who doesn't belong, but this ability helps him save the other little chameleons one day. After that, he becomes proud of his different colouring.

My son loves the book. He immediately went through it and pointed out every single chameleon on every single page while saying "there he is". Most of the chameleons blend in with only their shape distinguishing them from the background.

He wasn't really interested in the story, he just wanted to find the chameleons. I thought the story was cute, with a good message that it's okay to be different.

This is definitely an awesome book by a Canadian author.

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about color. Also give children a few facts about chameleons.

[Madison Heck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leon the Chameleon is a fun children's book written and illustrated by Melanie Watt. This book is about Leon the chameleon and he realizes that he is not like everyone else. Leon doesn't blend in like his other Chamelon friends, but this helps him later in the book make new friends that accept and love him for who he is. This is a great message for children to understand that they don't have to be like everyone else to be accepted and is one that I will be reading in my classroom.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for teaching children that it's okay to be different & how to accept others who are different.

The illustrations are so cute!

[Jarrett Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

(sigh). Another book that teaches that your disability is only celebrated if it is useful. Another form of the Rudolph story. Great for the use of complimentary colors.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leon wanted to be like all the other little chameleons, but when they all changed colour to match their surroundings he always turned the opposite colour and wasn't disguised at all! He didn't mean to, it just always happened that way. It made him feel embarrassed and lonely - until the day the others got lost.
Included is added interesting information about colour.

[Morgan Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Leon the Chameleon" is a great book for older toddlers and preschoolers! I love how it teaches about the color wheel and complimentary colors. I also loved the underlying message that being different is great, too! We should all dance to the beat of our own drum, so to speak, and the author does an excellent job at teaching that!

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, being different isn't ok, unless one has a chance to capitalize on it? Oh, and color doesn't actually work like that, according to my son anyway... for starters, think cyan, magenta, blue in a printer. Not Watt's best (that would be the first about Scaredy Squirrel).

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has a really good message

[Amy Balaich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable story about how Leon learns that being different is good.

[Natalie Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Social studies- why it's good to be different
Art concepts as well about complementary colors

[Martin Látal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever, seriously

[Lisa's Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two theme focus; colors and being different.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story with the message that sometimes it is good to be different~!

[Christa Balero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complimentary colors
Okay to be different

[Sophie]

I wanted to read this story again last night, and I asked a lot of questions in French (pourquoi?) as Dad read it. I also practiced saying my colors in French.

[Slayermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute story about a little chameleon named Leon who does not camouflage so well. He seems to turn the opposite colour to what he’s standing on. Leon always feels like he does not fit in with the other little chameleons and get’s embarrassed when he stands out. One day the other little chameleons go exploring and get lost, but Leon saves the day. It seems standing out isn’t always a bad thing. :0)

The children in my class really seem to enjoy this story and always ask lots of questions about Leon’s feelings.
It’s a great story to work on colours with children as well as discussing feelings.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to the library kids at the summer reading program yesterday. The "Dig Into Reading" manual had a color,cut, and paste craft about cave salamanders. I figured chameleons matched well enough. This book is about a chameleon that always changes the wrong color. It is intended to introduce the concept of complementary colors. I loved the pictures - lots of opportunities to interact with young children. The kids had fun looking for chameleons of the same color when they were successfully camouflaged. They enjoyed spotting Leon on most pages, and they were able to predict a word in the text based on the pictures. This is a great book for preschool through first grade.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet story about a chameleon who just cannot blend in like everyone else. Besides being a lesson in seeing the goodness in our uniqueness, it's also a lesson in primary and complementary colors. We have really enjoyed Mélanie Watt's stories and while this book is not likely to replace Chester as our girls' favorite, it was an entertaining story and we enjoyed reading it together.

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about Leon who is a chameleon but does not blend in to his background like other chameleons. Instead he changes to the opposite color so he feels different and left out. However something changes that makes him feel different (in a good way).

A nice story about excepting that everyone is different and special in their own way.

[Little Miss and the Legomeister · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very simple story. Somewhat sweet. About fitting in, even if you're different. It's also about complementary colors. (Instead of camouflaging himself, Leon can't help but change into the color that's complementary to his background.)

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as great as the other books by this author, but still cute.

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE the lesson this story tells.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches kids that its okay to be different that even if you're not like everyone else you have special talents you can offer. It also teaches a bit about colors.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Watt book but cute still. It just didn't tickle my funny bone like Scaredy Squirrel or Chester the cat.

[Chili Public · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches kids that its okay to be different that even if you're not like everyone else you have special talents you can offer. It also teaches a bit about colors.

[Ginny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reminds me of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer :P

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

See my review of "Spork":

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Same thing.

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaches children it is ok to be different from other people. Not everyone is alike in the world. He changes the opposite color of what he was around and did not do it on purpose.