@ Before reading It's a good idea to talk with your child about a book before they read it. Look at the front and back covers together. Flick through the pages and look at the pictures. Ask some questions such as: © What do you know about chameleons? Have you read any books with similar animals in? © What do you think this story might be about? Encourage your child to read the story at their own pace. (Q) Tricky words Here are some tricky words your child will read in this book: chameleon dragon minutes lumbered tongue cushions interesting swivelledJamie ons, Chameleon Carolyn Sloan Illustrated by Leslie Harrington TaN| a I, “Is it a mini-dragon?” Jamie asked his mum. Jamie’s mum worked at the zoo. She looked after the lizards and snakes. One day, she brought a lizard home for Jamie to see.Se “No, pes, not a dragon,” said Mum. — eT “He’s a chameleon.” oT Ps -Jamie thought the chameleon looked a bit dull sitting in his cage. Then suddenly it stuck its tongue out. And out. And out.“Wow!” said Jamie. “Did you see that tongue? It went out and out and out and ... It’s as long as ... as .. “It’s as long as his body, so he can catch insects to eat,” Mum said.Mum put the chameleon onto the carpet. It moved around, slowly. } ee —“Mum,” said Jamie after a while. “He’s going red! Is he all right? Look! He’s as red as the carpet.” ; “Ah!” Mum said. “I forgot to tell you the | | really interesting thing about chameleons. | They change colour!”Mum put the chameleon back in his cage. “Keep an eye on him. I am going to sort out his bug box and get him some water.” Jamie watched the chameleon turn grey again. He watched for a few more minutes, but nothing happened.Jamie thought, “I'll let him out again and see if he can turn blue this time!” He opened the door to the cage. The chameleon lumbered across the table.He climbed into the fruit bowl. Soon he turned yellow with brown spots. “You're brilliant!” laughed Jamie. “Now, time to get back in your cage.”es re _ But the chameleon was not going back in his cage. He crawled on to the sofa instead. “Where are you?” Jamie was worried. Ss “Please don’t hide in the cushions.” eeBefore Jamie could pick him up, the chameleon had moved into some plants. “Where are you? Stop hiding, PLEASE!” Jamie called. But he had lost him.Fz e » 4 Ah there you are!The chameleon moved on to the bookshelf next. “No! Come back! I'll never find you in those books!” Jamie moaned.nd Na Ah there you are! Then the chameleon saw Mum’s patchwork quilt. His eyes swivelled. He began to crawl. “Not Mum’s patchwork quilt!” Jamie groaned. “I'll never, ever find you there!”| Jamie was scared. The chameleon was | changing colour faster than traffic lights. Red, yellow, green. Red, yellow, blue. Then pink, then orange ...“Stop! Stop it!” Jamie cried. He could not see the chameleon 4 any more. Mum came running.“T’m sorry. I let the chameleon out,” said Jamie. “He got all muddled on your patchwork quilt and now ... I think he’s burst with colours!” “Don’t worry,” said Mum, looking £ around. “He can’t have gone far.”“There he is, in his cage,” Mum grinned. Jamie stared. There was the chameleon. It looked pale and tired - and grey. But he could see it!The next day, Mum and Jamie took the chameleon back to the zoo. Jamie was worried that the chameleon might be lonely. “Don’t worry, Jamie,” Mum said. ye“Look how many friends he’s got in the chameleon nursery!” Jamie looked, but all he could see were bushes and plants and ... wait! Was that a baby chameleon hiding on a leaf? Was that a bigger one on a flower pot?“You have to look hard for chameleons!” Jamie said. He started counting them. He counted eight all together. How many can you find?Chameleons Chameleons have special colour cells in their skin. Some chameleons can change colour in 20 seconds! la - a clasping tail eyes that move independently [uy of each other Chameleons change colour for different reasons: e when they are too hot or too cold e when they feel moody e when they want to send a message to other chameleons - like, “Get lost, I’m sleeping!” e when they feel scared and want to hide. Why do you think the chameleon in this book changed colour?@ After reading Talk with your child about the book after reading. Here are some questions you could ask: © Did you like Jamie? How would you describe him? © Why do you think the chameleon was so excited by the patchwork quilt? © Did you like the book? Why or why not? {9@ Other things to do Encourage your child to find out more about chameleons using library books and the Internet. Perhaps they could draw a picture of a chameleon hiding somewhere? OXFORD ‘UNIVERSITY PRESS is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, ‘Text © Carolyn Sloan 2009 Carolyn Sloan has asserted her right to be identified as Author of this Work Ilustrations © Leslie Harrington First published 2009 Project K concept by Rod Theodorou and Emma Lynch All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, ‘without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, ISBN: 978-0-19847124.0 13579108642 Printed in China by Hing Yip Paper used in the production of this book is a natural, recyclable product made from ‘wood grown in sustainable forests. The manufacturing process conforms to the environmental regulations of the country of origin,bopieield fap Jamie and the Ghameleon Jamie’s mum brings a chameleon home. He can’t resist letting it out of the cage. eta ae iui) Preah a SSR aC *Hide and Cheat OTT etic * Look Closer Fiction Orders and enquiries to Customer Services: tel. 01