Chameleons are fascinating. One old theory is that chameleons changed color to match their surroundings. That turns out not to be true according to the latest research! Their color change is actually a form of communication!
Their mastery of camouflage is behavioral using movement! They also have a fascinating tongue that projects up to two body lengths from their mouth at 13 miles per hour!
Learn about chameleons from this pair of picture books and the short video below!
Chameleon Picture Books
Neon Leon
This is an interesting hybrid picture book that combines elements of interactivity, nonfiction, and a fiction message. Leon is the only chameleon that isn’t changing colors to match his surroundings. He stays a constant neon orange. He’s so bright that he keeps the other chameleons awake at night. He matches the flamingos, but he can’t fly like they can. He moves to a patch of flowers that match his color and finds a new friend there as well. This is a gentle book about being yourself. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Terrific Tongues!
A chameleon’s tongue is like a bow and arrow that shoots forth to catch prey! Learn more about animal adaptations in this fun nonfiction picture book about tongues! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
10 amazing times things were camouflaged by pure coincidence here.
To view the book at Amazon, click on image.
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award longlist
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Fun topic! I’d add Barbara DiLorenzo’s Quincy: The Chameleon Who Couldn’t Fit In (2018) to this list.
Thanks for that great book addition Patricia! It’s so perfect for my really weird book list topic! 🙂
Thanks for including Terrific Tongues here, Mia!! They are quite the amazing creatures, aren’t they?
Hi Maria,
They are! And all this time I thought chameleons changed colors for camouflage!
Woah, that’s crazy. I didn’t know that! Such fascinating animals.
Hi Maryanne,
Me neither! Blew me away!