Have you ever wanted to hide when someone new says hello? Kiko the chameleon knows that feeling very well. This bedtime story about shyness is for every little one who needs a moment before they’re ready to say hi.
Kiko the Shy Chameleon
Kiko was a little chameleon with curly toes and a curly tail.
When Kiko was happy, he turned sunny yellow.
When Kiko was sleepy, he turned soft purple.
And when Kiko felt shy, he turned leafy green, the exact same green as the leaves. Then nobody could see him at all.
Kiko felt shy a lot.
Kiko’s family had just moved to Lily Pond. Everything was new. New trees. New flowers. New faces.
“Hello!” said a duck, waddling by.
Kiko turned green and froze on his branch.
“Hi there!” said a turtle, poking her head up.
Kiko turned even greener.
“Where did that little chameleon go?” said the turtle. “I was sure I saw him.”
Kiko wanted to say hello back. The words were right there, in his throat. But they just wouldn’t come out.
That afternoon, Kiko heard a tiny splish and a tiny sniffle.
Down by the water sat a little green frog called Bea. She was looking up into a tall bush.
“My ball,” Bea sniffed. “It bounced way up there. And I can’t climb.”
Kiko looked at the bush. He looked at his curly toes. Chameleons are very good at climbing.
His tummy felt fluttery. His skin started to turn green.
But Bea looked so sad.
So Kiko took a deep breath. He climbed down from his branch. And in the smallest voice in the whole pond, he said…
“I can get it.”
Up, up, up he went, with his curly toes and his curly tail. He grabbed the ball and brought it all the way down.
“Thank you!” said Bea, hugging her ball. “I’m Bea. What’s your name?”
Kiko felt the green creeping back. But then he looked at Bea’s big, friendly smile.
“I’m… Kiko,” he said. A little louder this time.
And then something happened. His tail turned yellow. Then his toes. Then his whole body turned sunny yellow, from nose to curly tail.
“Wow!” said Bea. “You’re so colorful!”
They played ball until the sun went down. And when the duck waddled by again, Kiko didn’t hide. He waved.
That night, Kiko curled up on his branch, soft and purple and sleepy.
He still felt shy sometimes. He probably always would. But now he knew a secret: one small hello is all it takes.
The end. It’s okay to feel shy. You can still be brave in a small voice.
Story by the TalesKids team · Ages 4-6 · About 5 minutes to read aloud
A Word for Parents of Shy Kids
Shyness is a normal part of many children’s personalities, not a problem to fix. Like Kiko, shy kids often warm up when they have a small, clear way to join in, such as helping, sharing a toy, or being asked a simple question. Try not to label your child “the shy one” in front of others, and celebrate the tiny brave moments. The Raising Children Network has practical, research-based tips on supporting shy children.
More stories for gentle hearts: The Lantern That Was Too Shy to Shine, Hazel the Hedgehog’s Prickly Problem, and Coco the Crab’s Sideways Day.
