Who Am I?

February 27, 2012
A “strange little creature” hatches in the jungle and wants to know one thing: “Who am I?” Readers will see that he’s some kind of lizard, and some will nail down the species within a page or two: chameleon. That’s because as the interrogator goes from animal to animal in search of his answer, he takes on the spots or color of whomever he’s talking to. This quest also enables British author Phinn to create a nifty taxonomy of superlatives: “I know that I am the cheetah and I am the fastest animal in the whole wide world,” is a typical answer, “but I do not know what sort of creature you are.” Mother Chameleon knows, though, and she appears just in time to save her baby from a crocodile. Phinn’s story delivers a simple, solid good time: the brisk, British-inflected narration is fun to read aloud, and the effortless cartooning from Ross gets maximum comic mileage from the contrast between the persistent, bug-eyed hero and his much larger jungle counterparts. Ages 4–9.

March 1, 2012

PreS-K-A newly hatched creature questions the animals in the jungle about his origins. The giraffe, rhinoceros, elephant, and chimpanzee can't help him because they don't know who he is or where he comes from, and the crocodile, who pretends to know the answer, tries to eat him. His mother knows the answer, though, and when they reunite, the creature meets his colorful brothers and sisters and discovers what they can do best. Children will sympathize with the little chameleon because he needs help and looks defenseless with his misshapen eyes and tightly coiled tail. Ross's pen, ink, and watercolor cartoon illustrations are large and uncluttered. Repetition adds rhythm to the story, and the dialogue, which emphasizes descriptive words about each animal, gives readers a chance to give the characters interesting voices.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2012
Two picture-book veterans offer a phoned-in collaboration that blows off not only the Big Question it poses, but the plot, too. A puzzled hatchling chameleon actually has two posers: "Could you tell me who I am and where I come from?" he asks of a giraffe, an elephant and a succession of other jungle animals. No, replies each, identifying itself in a patterned way--"I am the cheetah and I am the fastest animal in the whole wide world, but I do not know what sort of creature you are." A toothy crocodile at last promises enlightenment if only the little tyke will come closer...but just as he's is about to climb on the croc's nose, along comes Mama Chameleon to identify her little one as "my little baby chameleon, the most beautiful and unusual creature in the whole wide world!" and whisk him away to meet his many sibs. In his loosely brushed pictures, Ross adds an ingenious detail to the narrative by having the little one adopt the colors of each animal he questions, but he contradicts Phinn's version of the climax (having the lizard clamber atop the nose of a croc whose mouth is closer to closed than wide open as described) and, in blithe disregard for internal logic, inexplicably sends the suddenly meek crocodile packing. Why ask children to think deep thoughts when you can offer a superficial variation on the common "Where's Mama?" theme instead? (Picture book. 5-7)

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April 15, 2012
Preschool-G A little critter, later revealed to be a chameleon, hatches from his egg and is instantly plagued by an identity crisis. As he wanders through the tall, tall grass in search of an answer, he meets a giraffe, an elephant, a cheetah, a rhinoceros, and a chimpanzee. The animals are able to tell him who they are, but they do not know who he is, even as his color changes to mirror their skin tones. When he meets a crocodile, it seems that the little creature is about to become lunch. But his mother appears in the nick of time, tells him who he is, and introduces him to his brothers and sisters. They are quite a colorful crew, which causes the creature to turn into a rainbow-striped lizard. The story has a cumulative rhythm, which makes it ideal for reading aloud, and children will have fun identifying the animals. Ross' illustrations make effective use of solid lines, primary colors, and the chameleon's googly expression as he ponders his place in the world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)