Hello there! Get ready for a fun and exciting story. Today, we’re going to dive into the world of “Private I. Guana: The Case of the Missing Chameleon,” a delightful tale by Nina Laden. Let’s join Private I. Guana, a clever detective, as he solves a mystery!
Our story starts with Private I. Guana sitting at his desk when he gets an important phone call. “Can you find a missing chameleon?” asks a worried voice. Private I. Guana agrees to help, even though chameleons are tricky to find because they can change colors!
Soon, a lizard named Liz arrives at his office. She’s worried because her friend Leon, the chameleon, didn’t come home for dinner. Liz made his favorite dish, cricket stew, but Leon never showed up. She explains that Leon was acting strange, changing colors a lot, and she’s afraid he might be in trouble.
Private I. Guana promises Liz that he’ll find Leon. He makes colorful posters of Leon and starts putting them up everywhere. He even talks to Officer Croaker, the bullfrog chief of police, who thinks Leon might just be pretending to be a rock!
Our detective doesn’t give up. He searches high and low, talking to turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, and more. But as the day ends, he still hasn’t found Leon. Feeling tired, he decides to try again the next day.
On his way home, Private I. Guana sees a glowing light near the swamp. It’s The Lizard Lounge, a place where reptiles hang out. His stomach growls, so he decides to check it out and maybe grab a snack.
Inside, the lounge is buzzing with activity. Private I. Guana orders some tasty fried grasshoppers and notices a sign about a singer named Camille performing with the Gila Girls. Curious, he decides to stay for the show.
When Camille starts singing, Private I. Guana is amazed. There’s something familiar about her. After the show, he sneaks backstage to get an autograph. Nervously, he hands Camille a photo from his pocket.
Camille looks surprised and asks, “How did you know?” Private I. Guana realizes he accidentally gave her the photo of Leon! Camille is actually Leon in disguise! Leon explains that he wanted to show Liz he could be exciting and talented, so he joined the band.
Private I. Guana tells Leon that Liz misses him. Leon decides to go back to Liz, and they both find happiness. Leon becomes a singing star, and Liz becomes a famous chef at The Lizard Lounge. Everyone is happy, and the lounge becomes a popular place!
And so, Private I. Guana solves another case. Who knows what adventure he’ll have next? If you ever have a mystery, remember to call Private I. Guana. He’s always ready to help!
We hope you enjoyed this exciting story. Remember, every mystery has a solution, and with a little bit of curiosity and courage, you can solve anything!
Colorful Chameleon Hunt: Just like Leon the chameleon, let’s explore how colors can help animals hide. Go outside or look around your home and find objects that blend into their surroundings. Draw a picture of each object and the place where you found it. Think about why these objects might want to “hide” just like Leon did.
Create Your Own Detective Story: Imagine you’re a detective like Private I. Guana. Write or draw a short story about a mystery you need to solve. Who are the characters? What is missing or needs to be found? How will you solve the mystery? Share your story with a friend or family member and see if they can guess the ending!
Chameleon Color Experiment: Chameleons change colors to blend in. Let’s see how colors can change the way things look. Gather some colored paper or fabric. Place a small toy or object on each color. Does the object look different on each background? Why do you think that happens? Discuss with a friend or family member how this might help animals in the wild.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, welcome to BookPALS Storyline Online. My name is Esai Morales, and I’ll be reading “Private I. Guana: the Case of the Missing Chameleon,” by Nina Laden.
It’s a cute story. I was sitting at my desk when I got the call. “Private I. Guana here,” I said. “Yes, I can find missing lizards. A chameleon? Well… okay. Why don’t you come over to my office and bring a photo?” As I hung up, I wondered if I should have said okay. Chameleons are hard to find. But she sounded upset. I guess I’m a sucker for a lizard in distress.
“You can call me Liz,” she said as she made herself comfortable in my office. “Here is a recent snapshot of Leon. He didn’t come home for dinner one night last week. I had made his favorite, cricket stew… I haven’t seen him since. He was acting a little strange, changing colors every minute. He’s always been the stay-at-home type, and well, frankly… boring. I’m afraid he could be in trouble.”
I puffed myself up and said, “Now, don’t you worry, Liz. If I can’t find Leon, no one can.”
“By the way,” I asked, “What color was he when you last saw him?” Quickly, I made a pile of posters of Leon, the missing chameleon. Not knowing what color he was, I figured I’d color each poster differently. Too bad Leon didn’t have a scar or a tattoo. Then I set out to hang them up wherever I could.
I stopped first to check in with Officer Croaker, the bullfrog chief of police. Officer Croaker, who had a habit of jumping to conclusions, said, “A missing chameleon? That’s a waste of time. Probably pretending to be a rock.”
I said, “Thanks for your help, Officer. Maybe I’ll go talk to some boulders.” So I hit the dirt to see what I could dig up. I plastered the forest with posters. I went over fields, under rocks, and up trees. I talked to turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and a couple of skinks. It was getting dark. My feet were tired, my tongue was tied, and I had no clues, no tales, no trails, no Leon. Maybe this chameleon had really disappeared for good. But maybe I just wasn’t looking in the right place. I decided to head home and start again in the morning.
On the way, I saw a firefly-like glow in the distance by the swamp. I had forgotten all about The Lizard Lounge. It was kind of a slimy place, where only the most cold-blooded reptiles hung out. My head was telling me not to go there. But my stomach said, “Boy, I sure could go for some of those greasy fried grasshoppers and a tall cold drink.” So I put my stomach in charge and followed it.
The Lizard Lounge was buzzing with activity. I scoped out the place, making sure not to ruffle any feathers or step on any tails. I made my way to the back and sat at a table where I could keep an eye on things. The menu was my first order of business. I noticed that the special this week was cricket stew. “It’s probably just a coincidence,” I thought to myself.
A sweet salamander sashayed over to my table. “I’m Sally, your waitress,” she said. “What’s a nice amphibian like you doing in a place like this?” I asked her. When I didn’t get an answer, I ordered my food. I noticed a sign on the stage that said, “This week: Camille and the Gila Girls.”
I said, “Hey Sally, who’s this Camille?” Sally smiled, “I don’t know who Camille is. She just appeared out of the blue a few days ago, but boy, can she sing. She fits right in with our house band, the Gila Girls. You really should stay for the show.” I had nothing better to do, and the fried grasshoppers were pretty tasty, so I decided to stay. Soon the place got dark. Everyone stopped what they were doing. All eyes were on the stage. The Gila Girls took their places. Then a spotlight came on. The curtain rustled, and out slithered the most unusual chameleon I had ever seen. Something about her was familiar. It was like I’d seen her face somewhere before. I tried to remember, but then she started to sing, and my mind went blank. I was hypnotized.
When the show was over, Camille bowed and disappeared behind the curtain. I clapped and whistled as loud as I could. There was no doubt I had just seen a star. I had to get an autograph. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe I was crazy. But here I was, sneaking around backstage at The Lizard Lounge, looking for her dressing room door. I was so nervous, I was shaking. I knocked on her door, and when a voice said, “Yes? Come in,” I nearly shed my skin. I couldn’t believe I was alone with an amazing singer. I stammered, “Ca-Camille, I-I wanted to get your autograph… could you sign this?” And I pulled out the first thing I could find from my pocket and handed it to her.
Camille looked shocked. She said, “How did you know?” What did I know? I wondered. I was totally confused. Then I put two and two together. I knew there was something familiar about Camille. By mistake, I had handed her the photo of Leon to sign. And then I realized that Camille was Leon, the missing chameleon. I had hit the jackpot.
“You know Liz is looking for you,” I said. “She’s very upset. She misses you.” Leon took off his wig and sighed. “I miss her, too. But I was worried Liz thought I was too boring. I thought she might leave me for someone more exciting. I wanted to show her that I had talent, that I could be a somebody special. Maybe even a star! When I heard that the Gila Girls needed a new singer, I jumped at the chance to polish my act. Naturally, I blended right in.”
And so I closed the case of the missing Camille/Leon. Last I heard, Leon was the singing sensation of the swamp. Liz watches the show and then returns to the kitchen, where she’s the new head chef. Her cricket stew is getting rave reviews. It seems that The Lizard Lounge is actually becoming a respectable place. As for me, who knows what the next case will bring? A frog that jumped bail… a turtle running a shell game… a poisoned snake… just remember, if you’ve got a problem, give me a call. The name is Private I. Guana. The “I” stands for “I’ll be waiting.”
That was great. Thanks for joining us.
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