And Tango Makes Three

Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Cost:$18.06
Other Bibliographic info:
ISBN: 0-0689-87845-1
Dimensions: 22 x 28 cm
Word count: 815
Reading Level: 3.5
Interest Level: P-2

Plot summary:
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell is based upon a the true story of 2 male penguins, Roy and Silo, at the New York Zoo who raised a baby penguin – named Tango. For six years they formed a couple and were given an egg to raise. The book follows part of this time in the penguins' lives. The authors make parallels between the parental roles of the same-gender family and that of mixed-gender families. The final message is that Tango’s family life is rich and full of love and that having two daddies is a unique trait that is worth celebrating.

Issues for Being Challenged: Anti-ethnic, sexism, homosexuality, anti-family, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group. (according to ALA Banned Books Week 2009)

Evaluation:

The wonderful illustrations and straight-forward approach to this story make this book an excellent choice for story-time at home or in school. However, I can see why this book had been challenged by many parents for its portrayal of homosexuality. I had to constantly fight my own biases and moral beliefs towards homosexuality. As a reader, you have to remember that this is based on a true story.

Reader’s annotation:
Two penguins raising a baby penguin -- TWO MALE PENGUINS falling in love raising a young penguin.

Review Excerpts:
Horn Book

Two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo court, build a nest, and raise their (adopted) daughter Tango. Highly anthropomorphized to maximize the sentimental but noteworthy lesson on family diversity, the story gains depth from the biological reality of same-sex penguin partnering. Gentle illustrations of the smiling penguin family add appeal, if not scientific accuracy, to this book based on a true story.

ALA Booklist

*Starred Review* Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the other male penguins: instead of noticing females, they noticed each other. Thus penguin chick Tango, hatched from a fertilized egg given to the pining, bewildered pair, came to be the only penguin in the Central Park Zoo with two daddies. As told by Richardson and Parnell (a psychiatrist and playwright), this true story remains firmly within the bounds of the zoo's polar environment, as do Cole's expressive but still realistic watercolors (a far cry from his effete caricatures in Harvey Fierstein's The Sissy Duckling , 2002). Emphasizing the penguins' naturally ridiculous physiques while gently acknowledging their situation, Cole's pictures complement the perfectly cadenced text--showing, for example, the bewildered pair craning their necks toward a nest that was nice, but a little empty. Indeed, intrusions from the zookeeper, who remarks that the nuzzling males must be in love, strike the narrative's only false note. Further facts about the episode conclude, but it's naive to expect this will be read only as a zoo anecdote. However, those who share this with children will find themselves returning to it again and again--not for the entree it might offer to matters of human sexuality, but for the two irresistible birds at its center and for the celebration of patient, loving fathers who knew just what to do.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-This tale based on a true story about a charming penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo will capture the hearts of penguin lovers everywhere. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, are "a little bit different." They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the others start hatching eggs, they want to be parents, too. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing. The dedicated and enthusiastic fathers do a great job of hatching their funny and adorable daughter, and the three can still be seen at the zoo today. Done in soft watercolors, the illustrations set the tone for this uplifting story, and readers will find it hard to resist the penguins' comical expressions. The well-designed pages perfectly marry words and pictures, allowing readers to savor each illustration. An author's note provides more information about Roy, Silo, Tango, and other chinstrap penguins. This joyful story about the meaning of family is a must for any library.-Julie Roach, Watertown Free Public Library, MA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.