Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni ISBN: 0375810919 Published: 2000
From the Publisher:
Elephants are gray. Pigs are pink. Only the chameleon has no color of his own. He is purple like the heather, yellow like a lemon, even black and orange striped like a tiger! Then one day a chameleon has an idea to remain one color forever by staying on the greenest leaf he can find. But in the autumn, the leaf changes from green to yellow to red . . . and so does the chameleon. When another chameleon suggests they travel together, he learns that companionship is more important than having a color of his own. No matter where he goes with his new friend, they will always be alike.
Other Books by the Author Inch by Inch; Fish is Fish; Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse; It's Mine!; An Extraordinary Egg; The Greentail Mouse; Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse
Read
Preview the book with your child. Explain that it is book about a chameleon who doesn't want to change colors, he wants a color of his own.
Do
If you could choose any color to be, what color would you choose? Would you be red like a juicy strawberry? Would you be royal purple like a king’s robes?
Chameleons change color to blend in with their surroundings, are there other animals that can blend into their surroundings?
Go outside and play hide and seek! See if you can blend in with your surroundings.
Look at what you are wearing, how many colors do you see? What are they? What other things are the same color as the clothes you are wearing? Could you blend in somewhere wearing your clothes?
The chameleon wanted a color of his own and to fit in with the other animals. Do you ever feel like you don't fit in?
The chameleon didn't realize that he was unique and special. Is there something about you that makes you unique and special?
Burdette Queen Ant/One Monkey Too Many (Show 104)
Burdette decides to be the Queen of the World Tree. / Wartz wants to be a monkey instead of a frog. Curriculum Idea: Communities - Some insects and animals have organized communities and different communities function in different ways. Curriculum Idea: Same/Different Animal Characteristics - We are all different in our own special way and have different abilities and ways of doing things. Related Activity: If I were an animal...
Burdette Bald Eagle (Show 109)
Snook teaches Bob that animals are different colors for their protection. / Harry becomes a butterfly! Curriculum Idea: Molting - Some animals shed their skin or feathers at times as a natural part of the maturation process.
Color My World / Smooch's Caterpillar (Show 110)
Snook teaches Bob that animals are different colors for their protection. Harry becomes a butterfly! Curriculum Idea: Natural camouflage - Different animals are different colors for different reasons.
Hide and Seek (Show 121)
Learn how animals use natural camouflage for protection. Curriculum Idea: Natural Camouflage - There are many ways in which animals use their appearance to blend in with their surroundings.
The Big Race/You Are What You Are (Show 127)
The animals have a relay race. / Madge teaches Wartz that the animals have unique characteristics. Curriculum Idea: Same/Different Animal Characteristics - Different animals have different ways of getting around and move at different speeds. Related Activity:If I were an animal... Curriculum Idea: Animal Characteristics and Identity - We are all different in our own special way. We may change as we grow, and we can pretend to be other things, but that doesn't change who we are inside.
A Bird Tale/Friendship (Show 130)
Bob and Wartz think that Burdette has migrated. / Snook helps Snail reconcile with Worm. Curriculum Idea: Migration - There are many types of animals that migrate for different reasons including to find food or because of changing temperature. Curriculum Idea: Friendship - It can be fun and interesting to have friends who are very different from you. It is important to be open and talk about misunderstandings with friends to get past difficulties in friendships.
Opt: An Illusionary Tale (Show 801)
A magical tale of optical illusions, in which objects seem to shift color and size while images appear and disappear. Seeing is not always believing, especially when you are looking at an optical illusion. Join LeVar as he introduces the audience to a talented trompe l'oeil painter who specializes in art that tricks the eye, shows how special effects are created for the camera, and teases viewers with samples of optical illusion camouflage found in nature.
Websites
Chameleons
Learn more about chameleons at this site from National Geographic.
Chameleon Rescue
Ten chameleons have escaped from the zoo, see if you can spot them and capture them at this online game from National Geographic.
Camouflage Game
Chose an animal and then chose a background that will help camouflage the animal with this online game from BBC Worldwide.
Camouflage
Click on an environment and see if you can spot the animals at this site from Harcourt School Publishers.
Veiled Chameleon Learn more about the veiled chameleon at this site from the National Zoo.
Chameleon Photos
You'll find lots of chameleon photos at this site from Mongabay.
A Color of His Own Lesson Plan
This lesson plan from the Alabama Department of Education focuses on language arts and color.
A Color of His Own Lesson Plan
This K-3 science lesson plan from the Department of Chemistry
at Union College in Schenectady, NY grade demonstrates how heat sensitive paper can change color.
A Color of His Own
This site from Random House features a synopsis of the book and a downloadable activity.
Lionni Books: An Author Study
This site from the International reading Association features four books by author Leo Lionni and focuses on literary elements and comparing characters and plots.
Other Book Titles
The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle (1988)
A chameleon learns that he can change not only his color but also his shape!
Chameleon Chameleon by Joy Cowley (2005)
Brilliant photographs illustrate this book about the panther chameleon native to the tropical rain forests of Madagascar.
Leon the Chameleon by Melanie Watt (2003)
Poor Leo, unlike other chameleons who change color to blend in with their surroundings, Leo changes to a contrasting color!
Crafty Chameleon by Mwenye Hadithi (1998)
A cunning chameleon outwits a leopard and crocodile.
Turnagain Ptarmigan! Where Did You Go? by James Guenther (2000) In this rhyming book a young girl looks for a willow ptarmigan who changes color in the winter.
Look-Alikes: The More You Look, the More You See! by Joan Steiner (2003) You'll have to look carefully at the pictures in this book! things aren't what they seem. Buildings are made from crayons and crackers, sidewalks are made out of bread and couches are made of gloves.
Nature's Paintbrush: The Patterns and Colors Around You by Susan Stockdale (1999)
Find out how patterns and colors help animals survive in the wild.
Animals Brightly Colored by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes (1998)
This book is arranged as a guessing game. Clues are given and the reader has to figure out what the animal is.
How to Hide a Butterfly & Other Insects by Ruth Heller
(1992)
Find out how insects use camouflage.
How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians by Ruth Heller (1995)
Find out how amphibians like toads and salamanders use camouflage to "disappear."
How to Hide a Parakeet & Other Birds by Ruth Heller
(1995)
How to Hide a Polar Bear & Other Mammals by Ruth Heller (1994)
Find out how mammals like the deer, zebra, and polar bear use camouflage.
Airs M-F from 2:00-2:30 p.m.
11/4 Amazing Grace (Show 802)
Grace is a little girl who wants to be Peter Pan in the school play. She runs into obstacles because she is black and female, but refuses to give in. Join LeVar on a visit with Whoopi Goldberg - Actress/comedian Whoopi Goldberg, shares some of her experiences. Scenes from many of her movies and specials are shown.Watch a female hockey player in action - Lauren is a successful hockey player in a sport that is typically all male. Discover what a boiler mechanic does - Sheila tells her story of training for a career as a boiler mechanic, and shares some of the challenges of being employed in a predominately male field.
Preview the book with your child. Explain that it is book about a chameleon who doesn't want to change colors, he wants a color of his own.
If you could choose any color to be, what color would you choose? Would you be red like a juicy strawberry? Would you be royal purple like a king’s robes? 
