About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is starting to feel the heavy pressure of fitting in or seems anxious about being judged by their peers. It is a vibrant, slightly surreal story about Camilla Cream, a girl who hides her love for lima beans because she wants to be liked by everyone. This suppression of her true self manifests as a wild, physical transformation where her skin changes colors and patterns based on what people say or think about her. It is an excellent tool for discussing identity, the physical toll of anxiety, and the courage it takes to be oneself in a world of expectations. Most appropriate for children ages 4 to 9, it provides a safe, humorous way to look at the very real stress of peer pressure.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
1. DISTRESS: The illustrations are intentionally grotesque and surreal. For sensitive children, the scenes where Camilla physically transforms into the walls of her room or sprouts organic matter (roots, tails, feelers) might be unsettling or induce body-related anxiety. 2. CONVERSATION: Be ready to discuss the physical manifestations of stress. Children may ask why her body is 'breaking,' which provides an opening to talk about how our bodies react when we are worried or holding back our feelings.
Ideal Reader
A first or second grader who has recently started changing their behavior or interests to match a popular group at school.
Parent Prep
Preview the middle pages where Camilla merges with her bedroom furniture. The imagery is vivid and 'creepy-cool,' but could be too much for a child prone to nightmares about body horror. Seeing a child look in the mirror with distress or hearing a child say, 'I can't wear this because they will laugh at me.'
Age Experience
Younger children (4-5) often view this as a funny, magical tale about colors. Older children (7-9) recognize the metaphor for peer pressure and the exhaustion of trying to please everyone.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many 'be yourself' books that are soft and sweet, this uses absurdist humor and visceral, high-detail artwork to show the literal messiness of losing one's identity.
Read plot summary
Camilla Cream is obsessed with her reputation. To fit in at school, she denies her love for lima beans. On the first day of school, she breaks out in rainbow stripes. As doctors, experts, and news crews descend, her condition worsens based on their suggestions: she sprouts roots, berries, and even crystals. Only when she admits her love for lima beans and stops caring about what others think does she return to normal.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Camilla loves lima beans but won't eat them. Is there something you love that you're afraid to tell your friends about?
2
When the kids at school called out 'Purple Polka Dots,' Camilla's skin changed. How do words from other people make us feel on the inside?
3
All the experts and doctors couldn't fix Camilla. Why do you think the 'Old Woman' with the lima beans was the only one who could help?
4
At the end of the story, some kids think Camilla is weird. How does she feel about that now compared to the beginning of the book?
