'It struck her that she hadn’t even asked Dad why he’d left a chameleon with her all those years ago.’

A gripping adventure about found families, trust and truth. And chameleons. 

Children's Book Council: Spring 2024 Showcase: Reading List: Transformation

Connie will never forget the day her dad went to buy her a cup of hot chocolate at an airport café – and never came back. That was eight years ago.

Connie loves her foster-mum, Mags, but longs to find her dad again. When a mysterious letter appears, she vows to track him down with the help of her new friend, a fearless fossil-hunting boy called Thyo. Soon Connie is on a plane with her pet chameleon, Hue, on the most exciting, and scariest, journey of her life.

"Thomas’s work is clever in that it deals in a very accessible way with some difficult and emotional themes." –  Books for Keeps

"A fast-paced adventure with heart." – Kirkus Reviews

"This is a charming, funny and empathetic novel ... It's a perfect lure away from the screens and devices for at least some of the school holidays." – Meath Chronicle

"One roller-coaster ride through emotions on the way to discovering the real meaning of family – and the charms of chameleons." – The Echo

"I was instantly hooked by this book and read the whole book in one evening." – Just Imagine

"I could not put it down ...Chameleon Dad got me from the very beginning." – StoryShaped

""An absolutely captivating read. I couldn't put it down." – InTouch

" A terrific chapter book for older kids that examines loss, forgiveness, and the true meaning of family."  – All Done Monkey blog

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After studying geology at university, Debbie Thomas trained as a BBC reporter. She worked in Bangladesh and South Africa, then moved to Ireland, where she decided that making things up was more fun than telling the truth in news reports. She has written five children’s books (Dead Hairy, Jungle Tangle, Monkie Business, Class Act and My Secret Dragon) and is the writer in residence at Our Lady’s Hospital School in Crumlin, Dublin. She is a director of Nepal Leprosy Trust, a charity that supports people in Nepal affected by leprosy. Whenever she visits that beautiful country she waves at Mount Everest – and it always waves back.