Module 10: And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Summary: The authors of this book inform us that, every year, penguins pair off to start families. Usually, male and female penguins pair up. And Tango Makes Three is the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo named Roy and Silo, who become partners. They perform the same mating behavior as the other penguin couples, even building a nest and sitting on a rock as though it were an egg. When the zookeepers observe this behavior, they bring an egg for Roy and Silo to hatch. The two male penguins carefully tend the egg until it hatches. The baby penguin is called Tango, and Roy and Silo care for her exactly as the other penguin pairs care for their young, feeding her, keeping her warm, and teaching her how to swim.

Reference: Richardson, J., and Parnell, P. (2005). And Tango makes three. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: Even though I understand why some people would want to ban this book, it's hard to understand how they could justify it. After all, it's just the true story of some penguins. Authors Richardson and Parnell don't discuss the politics of penguin sexuality, or the ways in which Tango's family might be like human families. The great thing about this book is that it makes its point by presenting a true, simple story of a family that behaves much like any other. The illustrations are sweet and the penguins are adorable, because penguins always are.

Review: 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 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.

AND TANGO MAKES THREE [review]. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(11), 642.

Suggested Use: Like I said, my favorite thing about this book is its simple presentation of a penguin family at the zoo. I wouldn't draw any negative attention to this book by emphasizing its banned/challenged status. I'd simply include it in a book display about zoo animals, and maybe include it in a story time, with penguin puppets. It'd be a hit, I'm sure.