Book excerpt: A young child living on the island of Madagascar spots a pair of panther chameleons in a tree near her home. She keeps watch on the chameleons and decides to record what she sees in a diary. Readers will follow along as the narrator observes the male’s mating dance, the female digging a burrow for her eggs, and the emergence of the baby chameleons from the burrow. As the independent young chameleons hunt, feed, and grow into adults, every moment is detailed in the diary. Colorful photos, diagrams, and clear, age-appropriate text will engage young readers as they explore the life cycle, natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and behavior of these colorful reptiles. The diary format models scientific observation and critical thinking—and encourages children to keep notebooks recording their own investigations into the natural world.