Review By: Mary Potter
Published: 2025
Genre(s): Picture Book, Animals, Friendship, Family
Audience: Pre-K–Grade 2
Content Warnings: None
Goodreads Link: The Chameleon Who Couldn’t Change Colors
Summary:
In the rainforest of a tropical island lives Frilly, a green chameleon with a big dream—she wants to change colors like all the others. While her friends, Camy and Oscar, effortlessly shift from color to color, Frilly stays green…always green. Why can’t she be red, her favorite color?
Determined to transform, Frilly sets off on a colorful quest filled with imagination, sunshine, and even a daring splash into red paint! But when a hungry snake slithers too close, Frilly discovers that sometimes being exactly who you are is the most beautiful color of all.
The Chameleon Who Couldn’t Change Colors is a vibrant, heartwarming tale about self-acceptance, friendship, and the beauty of being unique.
Featuring illustrations created with acrylic paint collages.
Review:
The Chameleon Who Couldn’t Change Colors drew me in with its illustrations. They reminded me so much of Eric Carle’s classics. The theme of this book is an important one for children, especially those struggling with self-esteem and being happy with who they really are.
Frilly is the main character who struggles with her unchanging green skin. Her two chameleon friends in the rainforest can change colors with ease, but Frilly is stuck with her green color. What Frilly really desires to be is her favorite color—red. She thinks that life will be so much better as a red chameleon! After trying to burn herself red in the hot sun one day, she gets the idea to use paint. For a little while, the paint works and Frilly feels great in her new color. Then after a terrifying encounter with the snake on a tree branch, Frilly realizes that maybe being her natural color of green isn’t so bad after all. Luckily the rain starts and once again Frilly is back to her beautiful emerald shade.
I love the message this book conveys about self-acceptance. This is a reminder to children to embrace their uniqueness and individuality. On the last page, Frilly’s friend Oscar says, “You are perfect just as you are.” Her other friend Camy adds, “And we love being your friend, no matter what color you are or what color you choose to be.” What a beautiful message for children in this world where outside forces are always trying to change us. It was important for Frilly to discover this on her own in the book and realize that the grass wasn’t greener when she was a red chameleon. She took that journey and came back full circle and accepted and appreciated herself as she was—just as humans have to do from time to time to appreciate ourselves as we are.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend this adorable book for ages pre-K through 2. The pictures, characters, and lessons are amazing, and the author does a wonderful job with this imaginative storytelling.
