Module 15 And Tango Makes Three

Bibliographic Citation

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

Summary

This is based on a true story about two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo in New York City.  They became a couple except they could not have a baby penguin.  One day their caretaker needed to care for an extra penguin egg.  So he decided to give the egg to Silo and Roy to care for.  The egg hatched and the baby was named Tango.  So Tango was raised by the two male penguins.

Impressions

This was a controversial book when it was published.  It was on the Top Ten Most Censored Books.  I am not offended by this book and I would not be afraid to share this book with second grade and up.  I admire the caretaker of the zoo for trying to help Roy and Silo know what it felt like to be a parent penguin.  Sometimes animals are different from their other same species.  I feel like some people will look at this as a "gay" type book but I see it as trying to help the parental needs of those two penguins.

Suggestions for use in a library setting

1.  Reading to a class doing studies of penguins or artic animals.
2.  Unusual families study.

Reviews

Tango has two daddies in this heartwarming tale, inspired by actual events in New York's Central Park Zoo. Two male penguins, Roy and Silo, "did everything together. They bowed to each other.… They sang to each other. And swam together. Wherever Roy went, Silo went too. … Their keeper… thought to himself, 'They must be in love.'" Cole's (The Sissy Duckling) endearing watercolors follow the twosome as they frolic affectionately in several vignettes and then try tirelessly to start a family--first they build a stone nest and then they comically attempt to hatch a rock. Their expressive eyes capture a range of moods within uncluttered, pastel-hued scenes dominated by pale blue. When the keeper discovers an egg that needs tending, he gives it to Roy and Silo, who hatch and raise the female. The keeper says, "We'll call her Tango,… because it takes two to make a Tango." Older readers will most appreciate the humor inherent in her name plus the larger theme of tolerance at work in this touching tale. Richardson and Parnell, making their children's book debut, ease into the theme from the start, mentioning that "families of all kinds" visit the zoo. This tender story can also serve as a gentle jumping-off point for discussions about same-sex partnerships in human society. Ages 4-8. (June)

And Tango makes three. (2005). Publishers Weekly, 252(20), 61-62.

PreS-Gr 3-- When two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo form a special bond, build a nest, and attempt to hatch a rock, a zookeeper provides them with an egg in need of care, and the devoted fathers happily welcome a fuzzy baby into their lives. Based on a true story, this delightful tale about a unique and loving family is enhanced with endearing watercolor paintings. Book

And Tango makes three. (2006). School Library Journal, 52(3), 9.

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.

Roach, J., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). And Tango makes three. School Library Journal, 51(7), 81.

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. (afterword) (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)

And Tango makes three. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(11), 642.