A Color of His Own

$7.79

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.Colorful illustrations and spare prose make this story of friendship perfect for a board book edition to introduce simple color concepts to toddlers.

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Amazon.com Review

Every animal has a color of its own. “Parrots are green, elephants are gray, 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.

Leo Lionni, children’s book creator extraordinaire, author of such beloved picture books as Frederick, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, Swimmy, and Inch by Inch, all Caldecott Honor winners, introduces color concepts in an exquisite and touching story. This small board book edition of the classic tale of self-acceptance and friendship will be a favorite for toddlers and parents alike. (Baby to preschool) –Emilie Coulter

Review

“Lionni’s signature watercolors span the rainbow in this story of a chameleon who, while searching for his identity, finds a friend with whom he can share his changeable nature.” —Publishers Weekly

“As captivating now as it was when first published in 1975.” —Children’s Literature

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From the Inside Flap

Now available in a board book edition, the charming story of a chameleon searching for his own color, who ends up finding a true friend.
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.
Colorful illustrations and spare prose make this charming love story perfect for a board book edition to introduce the heartwarming fables of Lionni to toddlers.

About the Author

Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children’s books. He received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor winner–for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and  Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Leo Lionni died in October of 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy.

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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.Colorful illustrations and spare prose make this story of friendship perfect for a board book edition to introduce simple color concepts to toddlers.

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