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The Pink Lizard

Nancy S Mure - Author

Hillary's efforts to earn friendship through her abilities fail; acceptance comes when her scales change, and her happiness coincides with turning pink again.

More about this book

Hillary is a chameleon who lives in the rain forest. She is pink. The other lizards reject her because of her color. Determined to befriend them, she displays stellar hunting and climbing skills but her efforts fail. Exhausted and rejected, Hillary becomes saddened causing her scales to change during the night. She catches a glimpse of her reflection, sees that she is no longer pink and approaches the lizards, who then befriend her. As Hillary grows happier, her scales turn pink again. The Pink Lizard is an inspiring story about accepting others based on merit. Its theme teaches that as different as we all may be, we are very much the same

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

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DifferenceAcceptanceFriendship

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Social conflictEmotional intensity

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

differenceacceptancefriendship

FictionPicture book

Themes in Context

Belonging and changing colour

Hillary is rejected because she is pink. The other lizards befriend her after her scales change; when she grows happier, her scales turn pink again.

How the book presents it: The stated message is acceptance, but the plot makes acceptance follow a change in Hillary's appearance, leaving a tension between the theme and events.

Talk about: Does the story suggest that friendship should depend on someone's abilities, appearance, or something else?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The story offers a way to talk about belonging and whether people are accepted for who they are or for what others value in them.

What Deserves Attention

The other lizards reject Hillary because of her colour, and her attempts to gain their friendship are unsuccessful before her scales change.

A Conversation Worth Having

If the other lizards accept Hillary only after her colour changes, what might that suggest about their friendship?

Reading Approach

Read together and pause at the change in the lizards' response; invite your child to compare the story's stated message with what happens to Hillary.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Belonging and changing colour: The other lizards' reasons for befriending Hillary are not explained beyond the timing of their response.

The Pink Lizard by Nancy S Mure | Open Library

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Belonging and changing colour

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