Chameleons Are Cool

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Simple yet beguiling look at chameleons.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the writing is straightforward, with fascinating information in digestible tidbits. Though it can be excessive in its desire to be hip, the book's artwork grasps readers' interest like a sticky tongue.

What's the story?

This simple yet beguiling introduction to one of the world's most wondrous and strange (and, inexplicably, endearing) lizards ably describes the reptiles, covering their more peculiar behavior and their distribution. The book is vividly illustrated by Sue Shields in the fanciful colors chameleons prefer.

 


Is it any good?

 

You have to hand it to Martin Jenkins for creating a natural-science book that can be successfully deployed with preschoolers. The text emphasizes chameleon facts that grab kids' interest -- changing colors, wild rotating eyes, and just plain wild noses, their grumpiness, and their slow approach, followed by a lightning-quick zap of their quarry -- while the illustrations are as Technicolor bright as the tropics.

One slight drawback is Jenkins' occasional pandering to readers, starting with "Chameleons are cool." The inclusion of a young boy in the artwork, in aviator glasses and with his hat on backward, also seems a bit obvious. When this book was read to a library class of 5-year-olds, they immediately began to act grumpy and stick their tongues out at one another. Obviously, chameleons and 5-year-olds share much in common.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about chameleons. What was the most interesting thing you learned in this book? How could you learn more if you wanted to?


This review was written by Peter Lewis

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This review was written by Peter Lewis
Author:Martin Jenkins
Illustrator:Sue Shields
Book type:Non-Fiction
Genre:Animals
Publisher:Candlewick Press
Publication date:May 1, 2000
Number of pages:32
Paperback price:$5.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):2 - 4

This review was written by Peter Lewis
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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