"The Mixed-Up Chameleon" by Eric Carle

This book was very interesting. First it described how chameleons adapt to their environment by changing color. It described how when they get hungry they get very dull-looking and when they have something to eat they are shiny and green. The chameleon sees a zoo one day and wishes it could be like every animal in the zoo. It wants to be big, handsome, smart, strong and funny just like the other animals that it sees. After each wish it makes part of the chameleon turns into the desired animal. After almost every part of the chameleon has been changed into something else it realizes that it is hungry. When it sees a fly the chameleon realizes that it cannot catch the fly because it is so mixed-up! Finally in the end the chameleon wishes it could be itself again and it turns back into how he looked in the beginning of the story and it is able to catch the fly. I think a lot of children would like this book because they could probably relate to wanting to "be" something else for a time in their life. I remember when I was little I always wanted to be a different type of animal. Teachers may enjoy this book because it describes a little bit about the life of chameleons so it could be used for a unit about reptiles. I chose to read this book because Eric Carle is one of my favorite children's authors and I had never read this book by him.