And Tango Makes Three

In this true, straightforwardly (so to speak) delivered tale, two male chinstrap penguins at New York City’s Central Park Zoo bond, build a nest and—thanks to a helping hand from an observant zookeeper—hatch and raise a penguin chick. Seeing that the penguins dubbed Roy and Silo “did everything together. They bowed to each other. And walked together. They sang to each other. And swam together,” their keeper, Mr. Gramzay, thinks, “They must be in love.” And so, when Roy and Silo copy the other penguin couples and build a nest of stones, it’s Gramzay who brings a neighboring couple’s second egg for them to tend, then names the resulting hatchling “Tango.” Cole gives the proud parents and their surrogate offspring show more small smiles, but otherwise depicts figures and setting with tidy, appealing accuracy. Unlike Harvey Fierstein’s groundbreaking The Sissy Duckling (2002), also illustrated by Cole, this doesn’t carry its agenda on its shoulder; readers may find its theme of acceptance even more convincing for being delivered in such a matter of fact, non-preachy way. (afterword) (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)

-Kirkus Review show less

recommended for: absolutely everyone, especially kids 4-8 with same sex parents, but all kids & adults

Good grief Charlie Brown! What is all the fuss about this book, anyway?!?!!

This is a very sweet story. It’s the true tale about 2 male penguins who are a pair and how they came to tend an egg and then raise Tango, a baby penguin. This happens at the Central Park Zoo in New York City, and the illustrations really show off Central Park and the zoo; they’re beautiful and the expressions on the penguins’ faces are priceless.

This is a picture book for 4-8 year olds and it’s a wonderful story for kids and interesting for adults, especially since what actually happened is described more at the back of the book.

Yeah, yeah, I know some show more people have their reasons (beyond my understanding) to be opposed to homosexuality and that’s what the ruckus is all about. Well, as a vegan, I could tell you some very negative things about zoos. But this isn’t the place for such hysteria.

This is simply a lovely, fun, educational, heartwarming, innocent, and enjoyable book. show less

And Tango Makes Three is a great, true story about acceptance of two male penguins who found love with one another. After years of being partners and not being able to have a chick, they are gifted a egg who needs a family by one of the zoo workers. The baby is named, Tango, and the two male penguins care for her immensely. This book was amazing not only because the author addressed a huge topic in a informational way without being bias, but also because it utilized animals as the characters to tell the story. In the beginning of the story, the author makes it clear that the two penguins are just like any other female-male penguin couple except that they are both males. The author says that they swim together, sleep together, play show more together, and even try to hatch an egg, which is actually a rock, together. These actions make these two male penguins relatable and show that their love is just the same as the other penguin couples. It will help kids, and maybe even adults, understand that homosexuality is natural occurrence and that they deserve love just like anyone else! I also think it was a great idea to use animals to introduce this topic of homosexuality acceptance. Animals are very interesting to children, and often readers can relate better to lessons taught by animals because animals get rid of prejudices that people might have. A reader won't be able to judge these penguins like they might a human character. Using penguins also normalizes the idea of homosexuality because it shows that the human race isn't the only organism that has the potential to be homosexual, many animal groups have had same-sex lovers. Plus- who doesn't think penguins are adorable!? This story demonstrated a great message that love comes in all different shapes and sizes. However, as humans, we should accept people and relationships even if they aren't considered "normal". I loved this book and hope many people get the chance to experience it! show less

This fictionalized true story of two gay penguins who get to raise their own chick had me in fits of happy tears. The art is simple but sweet and fairly colorful considering the pictures are of penguins in their barren habitat. It is a beautifully told story that keeps the anthropomorphizing to a minimum and manages to be equally heartwarming and thought-provoking.

I think I might have a new favorite picture book: And Tango Makes Three. This children’s book, written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and illustrated by Henry Cole, presents the fascinating true story of two male penguins (“Roy” and “Silo”) that raise a baby penguin (the eponymous “Tango”) as their own. The story is written in a very accessible, straightforward manner and never falls prey to “preachy” sentiments; rather, Richardson and Parnell simply present the story of these three penguins without much political commentary or bias. While many children’s books seem to be limited to an audience of toddlers, And Tango Makes Three joins the ranks of The Story of Ferdinand and Oh! The Places You’ll Go as a show more text that can reach across a wide variety of age groups.

Because the work is a piece of children’s literature, it’s pretty remarkable that And Tango Makes Three has caused such a stir in the last few years: the book has been identified by the American Library Association as the second most banned/challenged book of 2009. Of course, any book that dares to discuss “hot button” topics (homosexuality, non-traditional families, etc.) will undoubtedly meet resistance; however, And Tango Makes Three tackles its subject matter in a very sensitive manner. In fact, the topic of homosexuality is only subtly breached over the course of the story, as the authors choose to focus more on the concepts of family and togetherness. In the end, And Tango Makes Three reinforces the idea that love is a powerful force, one capable of overcoming a variety of obstacles.

Although young, developing readers (pre-school and elementary school) are clearly the target audience for this book, And Tango Makes Three can also be used to promote tolerance and provoke political discussions at middle school and high school levels. Because it has topped the ALA banned books list, I purchased a copy for my school library, and I have been pleasantly surprised by how many students pick up and peruse the book. Several teachers have asked about the book, and say that they plan to incorporate And Tango Makes Three into their curriculum. Not too shabby for a little children’s book about a family of penguins. show less

Like the other penguin couples in New York City's Central Park Zoo, Roy and Silo enjoyed spending time together, and eventually made themselves a nest of rocks. But when those other couples began laying eggs and hatching penguin chicks, suddenly our penguin pair found themselves left out in the cold. No matter how they imitated the other couples, even going so far as trying to hatch a stone, they never ended up with a baby penguin to love. Then one of the penguin pairs laid two eggs, and the zookeeper decided to give Roy and Silo their chance at a family...

Based upon true events, And Tango Makes Three chronicles the real-life adventures of two (and eventually three!) penguins at the Central Park Zoo. Because it has been interpreted as a show more story about same-sex parents (rightly, in my opinion), it has become one of the most challenged children's books in the United States. For my part, I thought it was a sweet little tale, one which fills a need, when it comes to depicting same-sax parents. I also found the watercolor artwork by Henry Cole immensely cute, and appreciated the way it captured Ray and Silo's emotional journey, as they long for and then eventually get a chick of their own. Recommended to anyone interested in challenged children's books, as well as to those looking for picture-books featuring same-sex parents. show less

Somehow I never understood that this was based on Fact. Makes it less of a 'message' book and more worth reading, imo.
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Finally read. Enjoyed much more than I thought I would. I wonder if, had it been shelved in non-fiction, it would have raised such a furor. 'Course, then probably not as many folks would have read it, and that would be a bad thing.

Do yourself a favor; spend ten minutes reading a banned book.