A Color of His Own

by Leo Lionni

The classic story about searching for somewhere to belong, from four-time Caldecott honor winner Leo Lionni.


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.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Friendship, Storytime, Art

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

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, at the age of 89.

Leo Lionni has gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, and sculpture, as well as for his books for children. He was born in Holland in 1910 of Dutch parents, and although his education did not include formal art courses (in fact, he has a doctorate in economics from the University of Genoa), he spent much of his free time as a child in Amsterdam's museums, teaching himself to draw.

Lionni's business training gradually receded into the background as his interest in art and design grew. Having settled in Milan soon after his marriage in 1931, he started off by writing about European architecture for a local magazine. It was there that he met the contacts who were to give him a start as a professional graphic designer. When he moved to America in 1939, Lionni was hired by a Philadelphia advertising agency as art director. Later he became design director for the Olivetti Corporation of America, and then art director for Fortune magazine. At the same time, his reputation as an artist flourished as he began to exhibit his paintings and drawings in galleries from New York to Japan.

Lionni launched his career as an author/illustrator of books for children in 1959. Originally developed from a story he had improvised for his grandchildren during a dull train ride, Little Blue and Little Yellow was the first of what is now a long list of children's picture books, including four Caldecott Honor Books.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful. It looks like Leo used sponges cut out like a chameleon with water colors. The trees and plants look great. I love the strong use of color in this book.

The Chameleon doesn’t have his own color. He’s whatever color is around him. He’s looking for his own color, but eventually a leaf he is staying on will change color and fall away. He’s sad until he meets another chameleon and they can hang out together.

I didn’t read this to my nephew. I realized it would be too beginning for him when I got the book from the library. It’s only my review today.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite Lionni so far. A simple story with beautiful, colourful illustrations. If I had a small child around I would definitely buy a copy. This would make a lovely board book for a baby. I was left wondering who was first, Lionni with this one or Eric Carle with The Mixed Up Cameleon both published in 1975.

Read on open library.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that teaches young children to embrace their individuality.

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, simple book about colours and friendship. This and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? are my two favourites for teaching toddlers their colours.

[Meghan Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion A Color of His Own is a great story about being yourself and embracing what makes you you. The chameleon in this story is upset that he does not have a color that is all his own. He is upset and he wants to be his own unique chameleon and to feel that he is unique. He goes on a leaf and thinks that finally he will have a color that is all his own, but when the leaves change, so does the chameleon. He then meets another chameleon who tells him that the fact that they can change to all of these different colors makes the more unique than all the other animals who only have one color.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I read it to my Kindergarten class every year. Leo Lionni does a great job illustrating his books which makes them easy for students to stay engaged and understand what they are reading or being read. The story is simple, but has a great message that students can understand and identify with. The hardest thing for kids to do now-a-days is too feel good about who they are and to feel that they can be themselves. I feel that this book helps young kids understand that it is okay to be themselves and that just because they are not totally unique that does not mean that they are not special.

[Amber Goebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pigs are always pink and elephants are always gray, so the chameleon in this story wishes he could also remain the same color at all times. Even staying in the same place won't work when that place is a leaf that changes colors with the seasons and eventually falls off the tree. It isn't until he meets another chameleon who faces his same dilemma that he finds resolution. The other chameleon suggests that they stay together so that they would always be the same color! The plot reminds me of the Dr. Seuss quote, "We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." I think its message is that you are never alone. There will always be someone out there that can understand you. This book is a Lionni masterpiece, in my opinion. I love the beautiful, bright watercolor illustrations of the color-changing chameleons and other animals with dominant white space on each page. I enjoyed the silly color-changes of the chameleon too, like when he has tiger stripes and red and white polka dots. I also think this book is good for little ones who are learning color names.

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upset that he doesn't have a colour of his own, a little chameleon searches for an answer to his problem and, more importantly, how he can fit in with all the other animals. Having isolated himself from others because of this difference, his finds his answer in discovering that someone else is the same as him. It's an interesting book but I wonder if it celebrates social segregation rather than acceptance. Food for thought and I can't dismiss how much I like Lionni's watercolours.

[Reading Rainbow Community · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful board book with easy-to-follow English and Spanish text. Beautiful illustrations highlight the story. Makes learning colors in Spanish fun for kids and adults!

[Shainlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought my niece might like this. Her favorite color seems to change a lot and she just seems to like colors, in general. Lots. I love chameleons and their naturally evolved abilities. They are just so cool and I love watching documentaries on them too. I have a good memory of a beautiful but very complex picture where my husband and I were using prismacolor on our respective pictures of Siamese fighting fish and chameleons.
I love the concept here. They are any color they choose.

[Maleigha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A color of his own" by Leo Lionni is a wonderful book. I love this book because of it's main idea. The story is about being accepted, and learning to accept yourself. He first explains that chameleons change colors with whichever object they are near, and continues on with his sad story of not being accepted. After roaming around for quite a while, he runs into another chameleon. The only difference was that this chameleon was much older and wiser. He informs the main character that he is not afraid of being different and then offers to stick by his side. They continue on being the same colors together and living happily ever after. This text, belonging to the fiction genre, shows that some of us may not know what color we are, literally or metaphorically, the most we can hope for is to find someone with whom we can share all our different colors with.. and this chameleon does just that.

As a teacher, I would use this text to send many messages to my students. This delightful book captures a child's attention with simple content and colorful illustrations, while teaching them about feelings of belonging, friendship, compassion, and the most obvious - colors: green, red, gray, pink, yellow, and purple. You may involve activities asking the students "What color would you like to be if you were a chameleon?" This allows the students to open their minds to the many things they can be as an individual.

After reading "A Color Of His Own" I learned that Leo Lionni was born in Holland and educated in Italy. He lived in many different places and learned a number of cultures and languages through his travels. He was half Jewish and even as he got older, he split his time between different states. Therefore, this text relates to his personal background greatly. Traveling and not fitting into one place at all times is much of how the chameleon felt. The other does a great job relating real life incidents to acceptance. With the clever idea of a chameleon changing colors and the simple, yet engaging, illustrations, Lionni is able to covey a complex message of individualism. You may not have everything you want, but you can still be happy with what you have and you have to be prepared for change. If you look around, you will find others just like you that will be more than happy to extend their friendship. This is definitely a children's book I would recommend.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Lionni’s A Color of His Own is a beautifully crafted tale of friendship and belonging as a chameleon searches for his own color. The story begins before the copyright or title page. It sets the scene for the story, with no color, only white space and black font to juxtapose the chameleon’s sadness of having no color, unlike all the other animals. Lionni introduces a young chameleon who, in his search for color, meets another chameleon with the same problem. Together they decide to “remain side by side” so they may always be alike. This is a classic story of friendship and the need for someone to relate to as a good friend. Children of all ages will be able to connect to the books simple message and storyline. This text would be useful in an introductory lesson or unit on animal adaptation in its environment as well as an artistic study of color and color variations.

Lionni’s illustrations are subtle, yet powerful. They match the message of the story and the simplistic language used to convey the importance of friendship. Lionni’s use of color and white space allows for the reader to connect with the book on an emotional level. His use of block prints with crisp lines and washed out yet vibrant colors reflect the tone in the book. Animals, plants, and the chameleons are respectively one color, oftentimes overlapped to show the chameleon’s adaptation of color. The various backgrounds of pure white space in these full page spreads are important to guide the readers’ eyes to identify how the chameleon has changed his colors. The size of the book is appropriate to note as it is about half the size of the traditional children’s text and clearly meant for smaller hands to turn the pages! A favorite illustration is at the end of the book where the reader gets a sense of hope that the chameleon has found a true friend. The final words in the book: “And they lived happily ever after” allow readers to identify the resolution of problem through the use of a commonly known phrase often read in fairy tales. This shows a sense of traditional literary vices used in nontraditional ways Dubbed as “the master of the simple fable,” Lionni creates a wonderful and relatable story in A Color of His Own in which young children will be able to identify with through its moralistic view of friendship.

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading these cute little board books as an adult.
Hoping to improve my vocabulary while on the corona virus lockdown. A great book for preschoolers.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could see how it would seem like a nice book. HOWEVER

If the theme is intended to be acceptance of oneself or one's individuality, it misses the mark. The resolution of the first chameleon meeting the other chameleon and then feeling as though he finally belongs defeats the purpose and sends the message that it's not ok to be yourself unless you find another person just like you. Especially with the line that says "...why don't we stay together? We will still change color wherever we go, but you and I will always be alike". Not exactly an argument towards individuality and celebration of differences in relationships (of all kinds).

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about a lonely chameleon trying to find a find a color of his own. All the other animals and things have a color of their own and he keeps changing. Then he meets an older wiser chameleon who says that he will always change colors but they can do it together an never be alone. The illustrations are large and brightly colored. This is a good story about being yourself with bold eye catching pictures that children will love.

[Rose D]

Leo Leonni, another author I read a ton of when I was little

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured in our grandma reads session today. . . .

This colorful guy longs for a place/identity of his own. His skin seems to betray him since it changes to match his environment. After many tries, and a creative collaboration that seems to be the answer and fails, together they finally find a place that (atop polka-dotted mushrooms) is where they and the author bring the tale to a close.

Interesting response from older listeners - one states that is not the way the chameleon really works and he began to launch into the scientifics of it all before the crowd pulled him to the ground, and another young observer's voice rose over the din, reminding all that this didn't really solve the problem in that the two were going to have to stay on the dotted mushrooms forever to remain that way, and mushrooms don't have long lives. . . .

3 stars, for the ensuing discussions and debates, but no higher since we cannot confirm the question was really resolved. . . . .

[newyorksense]

will any of us truly be free from the childhood propaganda that chameleons fr change colours vividly

[Arezoo Gholizadeh]

کتابی با تصویرهای بامزه درباره‌ی احساس تعلق‌خاطر داشتن و هویت.


اواخر خرداد سال چهار

[Hailey Dellinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main idea of "A Color of His Own," by Leo Lionni, is a chameleon that is trying to find his true colors, but soon finds that companionship is more important than having a color of his own. Although every animal has a color of his own, chameleons change wherever they go or are near! For example, in the book it shows that "Parrots are green, elephants are gray, and pigs are pink." It shows that when chameleons are on a lemon they are yellow like the lemon. The main character is the Chameleon who is not pleased with his changeable appearance. The chameleon finds a wiser and older chameleon (also main character) that teaches the chameleon about the true importance of Companionship. In the book, the wiser chameleon teaches the chameleon no matter where he goes with his friend, they will always be alike. The genre of this text belongs to Fiction. This fictitious tale teaches about self acceptance, individuality and friendship.

You can use this text various ways throughout the classroom. One way you could apply this book is to help with colors. This book might be more geared towards Kindergarten if you are using it to practice with colors. Since the book goes over different animals and their colors, this is a great book to help kindergartners with association of those two. Lionni uses watercolors and all colors of rainbow to depict all the animals and colors that the chameleon turns into. The children could have flash cards of all the different animals of the story, and they can do painting/watercolors (just like the book) to draw the animals and use colors of the book. This is a great hands-on application of the book! I think this is a great book to use for teaching acceptance, individuality, and friendship! I can't really find a reason why it would be inappropriate for classroom use. The students might interact with the text the most by the water colors and illustrations throughout the book. I think all the different colors really engage the children and help associations with colors and animals. Another way you could implement the book to the classroom is a magnetic board with cutouts from the story. You could print out the words of the colors and the children can come pin on the magnet board what animals go with the colors!

After researching Leo Lionni's cultural background, I discovered he was born in Holland, half jewish, and raised in Amsterdam, Genoa, and Brussels. He is a man of many languages and cultures, but no real home. In this case, I can really see the struggles for search for identity through the Chameleon in this text. The author does a great job of showing how the Chameleon finds inner peace although the outside colors are constantly changing. In comparison to the author's background of many various place, I believe he implements this in the story by showing how the Chameleon is a bunch of different colors that show the different places he blends with! This really displays our topic of Individuality/Uniqueness perfectly, because the Chameleon is trying to find colors of his own and not blend in with everyone else!

[Kiana Gerard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Lionni's A Color of His Own is a very brief picture book about making friends and being yourself. Lionni begins the book by saying that every animal has their own color. Elephants will be gray and pigs will be pink, but then the author introduces the chameleon as not having a color of its own. We are introduced to one chameleon sitting on a tiger's tail who wants to be his own color. Every time he moves to different places, he always changes color and blends in with his surroundings. The anonymous chameleon is distraught because he can't be just one color like other animals. He runs into another chameleon, who is just like him. The older and wiser chameleon tells the protagonist that being unique isn't a bad thing and that he was not alone. They become friends and they both have fun changing colors together. A Color of His Own is a short fable on the importance of being yourself and making good friends.

When I look at the title page, I noticed the correlation between bright colors and the colors that chameleons can turn into. The page background on both the title and the inside pages are just white space. This white space helps pop out the bright and vibrant colors. I could also tell that the certain mood of the book represents a different color, like a mood ring. On one page, the chameleon sits on a red leaf and he turns red. The color red in this situation represents the chameleon's frustration about blending in with his surroundings.The text is brief, plain, and only one to two sentences. Lionni in the beginning of the novel starts with this idea that every animal has one color to their own, except for chameleons. The chameleon (protagonist) in the story represents someone who is different from the cultural norm or goes against the grain. Instead of staying in one color like the rest of the animals, the chameleon changes colors to blend in with the background. His desire to be one color represents that he wants to fit in like everyone else. When the chameleon meets another friend just like him, the friend gives the chameleon a wise moral about being yourself and not changing who you are. A Color of His Own was surprisingly beautiful! The vivid colors of the illustrations and the important moral made me feel positive and good inside. For being such a short book, I didn't expect it to have a moral or significant plot. Not only does this book identify animals and colors, but teaches children to be themselves and make true friends.!

[Manik Sukoco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful and simply told story about a chameleon feeling lonely because he doesn't have a fixed color, when all the other plants and animals do, is illustrated in eye-catching colors that I think are meant to be appealing both to adults and children. Like other reviewers have noted, these colors don't necessarily fit colors as we know them from paint sets. Instead, they're wonderfully variegated, like colors actually are in nature. Admittedly, most lemons are pretty bright yellow at the supermarket, but sometimes they have a slight green hue at the pointed ends, or they deepen to an orange yellow as they dry out. And actual goldfish can be orange, red, black, and all other kinds of colors, while an elephant in nature is brownish-grey rather than the monotone grey we're used to seeing in fabric or metal. If you're worried about your kids being confused, I find that kids at age three, four, or six often have very pliant minds and are happy to compare the nuances of different choices artists make. But you can always hold off on the book for a few months until you feel they have a handle on their color names, then introduce them to these richer, more vibrant color choices.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book's protagonist is a chameleon who wishes he could be one color all the time, like the other animals he sees. He decides to spend the rest of his life on a green leaf so that he will always be green. While I appreciate the dilemma and the melancholy tone it sets, I do not like the resolution. It felt like an answer to a question that wasn't asked. (Though I'd be willing to change my mind if it were intended to send a message in support of same-sex relationships, which is one way to read the book.) My other big criticism is with the illustrations. First, the descriptions aren't always accurate (goldfish are NOT red). Second, the color of the illustrations often doesn't match the description (e.g., the "yellow" lemon is lime green and the "black" winter night is actually purple). This made the book a useless teaching tool for a toddler who's trying to name and understand his world. (Wait, you're telling me that "yellow" looks like that???) All in all, it was a big disappointment.

[Laura Mincey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED reading this book by Leo Lionni. A Color of His Own tells the story about a chameleon who just can't seem to stay one color. All of the other animals in the story have a color that never changes, but for some reason, he always changes to blend in with his counterparts. The chameleon runs into a wiser, older chameleon and asks about the problem of always changing colors. After learning from the wise chameleon that their color will never be constant, they decide to stick together. Everywhere the two went, they were the same color as each other, but always changing. This would be an excellent story to share with a culturally diverse classroom on young students who are just now discovering differences in skin color. Students can learn that no matter what color they are, they can ALWAYS be themselves and it will be just perfect. Friendship has NO color--that's the great message of this story. This is a must have for all Pre-k and Kindergarten teachers!

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a library book pick for the day and it was fun. Another one that has varying shades that confuses her for when it says yellow and the page is actually orange, but over all it's fun and interesting. A good pick for science introduction.

12/18/12

Tonight we read both A Color of His Own and Frederick on my Kindle though the library READS system. These are great as Kindle picture books. The font in Frederick is a bit small but otherwise it works great. Id buy it for it a decent price. Glad we have a physical copy of Frederick andwe might look for one of A Color of His Own, but then there is always the library for that one.

[Lillian Mulholland · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book about being what's inside of you. It doesn't matter what color you are or what you look like, it matters inside and who your friends are. Your friends like you for who you are if they're good friends. And if you don't like the way you look, don't pay attention to that! Pay attention to what's inside of you.

[Jasmine Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could be used as a great tool for teaching colors and the changing of seasons to pre-k and kindergarten students. It also reminds students that whatever problems they may be facing, it will be easier to get through with the help of loved ones and friends.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every animal has a color of his or her own except the chameleon. What ever he is near is his color. He is very sad and wants a color of his own. That is only until he meets another chameleon to share his many colors with. Then they are both happy.

[Linnea Frank]

Poor chameleon doesn't have a color that belongs to him! Will he ever get a color of his own?

[Talieh Rohani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for infants. My 3 months old loves this book. Bright beautiful colors.

[Zoraida Rivera Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled that this book could say so much in so few words. It's colorful, shares the world with little ones in an interesting and fun way and teaches a valuable lesson in the mix.