Something the teacher read to the class in the third grade.  It's about a giraffe who gets captured when she's a baby and put in a zoo, and a couple of chameleons befriend her.  I don't remember the whole thing, but I think the climactic scene happens on a ship with large, rapidly growing plants and demon ladies...pretty weird, but I remember enjoying it when I was younger.

Does it sound familiar to anyone?

Is it The Warm Place by Nancy Farmer?

Yes, it is The Warm Place by Nancy Farmer. I read it to my kids last year. Good book.