Rainbow Ruler? King of the Zoo by Erica Perl

THEY SAY THE LION IS KING OF THE JUNGLE.
BUT WHO'S THE KING OF THE ZOO?

CARLOS! THAT'S WHO!

Carlos the Chameleon is a legend in his own mind. According to this self-proclaimed Master of the Menagerie, he's the coolest, the cleverest, the charming-est critter in the enclosure.

With his two little lizard henchmen, Carlos leads the way in a tour of his kingdom. But what's this? A pretender to the crown? A sign in the kangaroo's domain proclaims that he is King of the Zoo!

Carlos is so angry he turns orange with envy. In fact he's hopping mad!

In front of the monkey cage, Carlos stops and scratches his head at another insurrectional sign. Monkey? King of the Zoo? Carlos frowns and turns brown at the very thought!

The tiger's claim to rule makes Carlos growl. He stomps his foot at the elephant's proclamation of power. Everybody's getting into the act--giraffe, even an itsy-bitsy pygmy shrew! And there's that lion, at it again, lording it over everyone and claiming to be King of the Beasts. Sheesh! Carlos the Chameleon refuses to abdicate!

KING OF THE ZOO? ME. THAT'S WHO!

In her latest, King of the Zoo (Orchard Books, 2013). Erica Perl spoofs its improbable pretender to the throne, happily abetted by the jolly comedic illustrations of Jackie Urbanovic, whose delightful Duck at the Door and sassy sequels are comic portrayals of another manic menagerie, starring the duck who came to dinner and stayed and stayed and stayed. See more of the unique Urbanovic's work here.

Erica Perl is also the author of the charming and cheeky Chicken Butt!

Color Me Out There: Chamelia by Ethan Long

WHEN OTHERS ZIG,
CHAMELIA ZAGS.

WHEN OTHERS ROCK,
CHAMELIA ROLLS.

Chamelia has a problem fitting in. A girl with fashion sense, flare, and a desire for the limelight, she has the misfortune to be born a chameleon. After all, blending in is what it's all about when you're a chameleon.

At school, everybody is green. Everyday. They dress in sensible, basic neutrals and try to slip by under the radar. That is not Chamelia's style.

Bright colors, bold prints, plenty of feathers and frippery, bows and baubles are more her style. When she plays Goldilocks in the school play, she dresses as a Viking warrior maiden, giving the kid playing Father Bear more than the usual surprise when he finds her sleeping in Baby's bed. When she goes biking, her helmet has bright designs and a long plume on top. And she insists on playing soccer in sequined platform shoes. She HAS to get herself noticed--no matter what she does.

But her parents and teachers point out that she needs to balance her act. There's a time when standing out in the crowd is not a good idea, when joining in is the way to go. Can she find a way to be one of the group and still be her outstanding self?

Ethan Long's easy-going little picture book, Chamelia (Little, Brown, 2011) shows the opposite of the usual story of the shy child who learns to take her turn in the spotlight, and his charming little Chamelia becomes a model of the middle way, a chameleon who learns to blend in and be herself at the same time.