Title: A Color of His Own
Author: Leo Lionni
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Year of Publication: 2006
Genre: Children’s Literature
Horn Book or Kirkus Reviews rating: 3
Summary:
This book is about a chameleon that wanted to be his own color, but wherever he went, his color would change to whatever was around him. He became sad that he couldn’t be his own color, but then he met another chameleon and they were the same color together. This is a great book with many different colors, patterns, and shapes. The illustrations show the different colors that plants, animals and atmospheres have.
Summary of Professional Reviews:
Every animal has a color of its own. "Parrots are green, elephants are gray, and pigs are pink." But chameleons change color wherever they go. "On lemons they are yellow. In the heather they are purple." One chameleon is not pleased with his changeable appearance. He thinks, "If I remain on a leaf, I shall be green forever, and so I too will have a color of my own." Of course, what he doesn't take into account is the changes wrought by autumn, and soon the green chameleon is yellow, then red, and then tumbled to the ground for the long black winter night. It isn't until he befriends another older, wiser chameleon that our hero begins to find inner peace, even as his outer surface is transformed again and again.
Review by Rokaya:
This is a very colorful book that teaches the reader about chameleons and their camouflage. This also teachers the reader about friendship, colors and patterns. This is a great book with many different colors, patterns, and shapes. The illustrations show the different colors that plants, animals and atmospheres have.
This book would be useful when teaching…
Teachers can use this book when teaching the class about colors. Each student can be assigned a color and they must draw everything they see on the page explaining the color.