And Tango Makes Three (original 2005; edition 2005)

The best part about this book is that the story is true, it is stated in the author's note. There was a pair of male penguins who became a couple and raised a baby penguin named Tango. Another penguin couple on the site had laid two eggs but were only able to bring up one so the keeper gave this egg to the male couple. It's a touching story about love and family and how it really has no bounds.

So so soooo cute! I love the illustrations in this book. This book is a great way to explain to children about homosexual couples and show that it is completely natural, especially since this is a true story.

I thought this was a very sweet story, and an especially interesting one since it's true! I wonder if this unusual penguin family is still a unit. ( )

What a cool story! It's told carefully and honestly. Of course, many would interpret a story like this as being targeted toward the penguins' sexual orientation, but I don't know. Basically, I think the prevailing theme here is that families can take all different forms but that love will always be their bonding agent. I was glad to read in the endnotes that the egg that Tango hatched from was taken from a penguin couple that had two eggs that year and couldn't take care of that many offspring. I don't know what made me think about that while I read, but I kept wondering, "Now where did the zookeeper manage to find an extra penguin egg lying around? Did another penguin couple tragically die while nesting?" I half expected them to hatch a chicken egg or something like that, even though the cover seemed to indicate otherwise. This was a fun story to read. I'd happily share it. ( )

I really liked the story. It was well written. It is intended for younger children. It is a story about two male penguins that care for each other. After trying unsuccessfully to hatch a rock, the penguin keeper gives them an extra fertilized egg from another couple. They do all of the things necessary to ensure the egg is healthy and finally a baby girl penguin is hatched. The book does a good job of showing that a family isn't about what you are but about what you do. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I didn't think the illustrations were as strong as the story. ( )