CAMILLA CHAMELEON

When Mrs. McNilly was pregnant, she craved Cream of Chameleon soup; when daughter Camilla is born, she’s strange looking and her parents often have trouble finding her. At school, her incredible hide-and-seek talent makes her popular, as does her ability to look straight at the teacher with one eye, while reading a comic with the other, and to use her very long tongue to retrieve hopscotch markers. Other times, her “blending” skills get her into trouble. At the school play, her knack as an invisible cue prompter is a big help. Nevertheless, at the curtain call, she discovers that she likes “standing out” even better. The exaggerated, quirky artwork’s the real star here in scene after scene, where bug-eyed, blonde pony-tailed Camilla is cleverly camouflaged in the various backgrounds. Look out, though, Mrs. McNilly is pregnant again and craving Cream of Pterodactyl. Kids will love the silly fun and the opportunity to forecast other sibling soup possibilities. (Picture book. 5-8)