Hide & Seek

What I Loved: The author keeps the story focused and simple, which makes it accessible for pre-school readers. Using the familiar game of hide & seek also keeps the story accessible, as does the inclusion of so many fun animals. I also really loved that the chameleon is disguised on every page, and can imagine a pre-schooler would enjoy the game of searching for the chameleon.

What Left Me Wanting More: Frankly, the illustrations, while lovely in an artistic sense, didn't speak to me as a mom of preschoolers. The colors are washed out and the animals are each illustrated with a collage of colors and patterns which makes them blend in with each other in some ways. The illustrations didn't catch the attention of my daughter where brighter, primary colors do. This is, of course, a matter of personal taste and another reader might just love the illustrations to pieces. I also felt the actual process of elephant finding the other animals was super rushed. We didn't get to see him find the animals. He just yells "found you and you and you!" and suddenly every animal but chameleon has been found. Children love the process of discovery, and I felt it would've been more balanced with the "hiding" portion of the story if the "seeking" took nearly as long.

The book is a fun twist on hide & seek which offers children a chance to find the camouflaged chameleon on every page, but the illustrations fail to make the book stand out.