Come out, come out, chameleon!

Will this pet chameleon ever reveal himself to his owner? "I have a pet chameleon," says the light-skinned, balding protagonist, gazing out at readers. The narrator's dog, however, is focused on a nearby rooftop. Astute readers will recognize the yellow creature on the weathervane--it's the titular chameleon! Kids will start grinning as the narrator adds, "The only thing is…I've never actually seen him." The protagonist continues, in simple, accessible language, to muse on the chameleon's talent for camouflage. "One time I thought I saw him in the bathroom. But I think I just had soap in my eyes." Meanwhile the chameleon hides nearby, visible only to the dog and to readers. The colorful art--which resembles watercolor pastels--shows the chameleon disguising himself as a banana in a fruit bowl and a stray sock in the narrator's bedroom. This book is a dramatic, irresistibly humorous example of artwork contradicting text. Readers will break into peals of laughter each time the beleaguered beagle fails to help its owner see the chameleon. The dog's hilarious facial expressions and urgent body language intensify as the protagonist concludes that perhaps the chameleon doesn't actually exist. Finally, the frustrated dog devises a silly way to flush out the critter, and it works--temporarily. Very funny and highly interactive. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.