Book Cover Image:
Book Summary: This is the true story of a penguin family
that lived at the Central Park Zoo. Roy
and Silo are male chinstrap penguins that discover each other as adult penguins
and begin spending their time together, and eventually build their nest
together. As the other penguin couples
around them hatch eggs, they realize they are unable to do this. They try sitting on a rock but nothing
happens. One day, the zookeeper Mr.
Gramzay had the idea to take a penguin from another nest that needed to be
cared for and give it to Roy and Silo.
The two penguins take turns sitting on the egg until one day a baby
penguin is born. She is named Tango and
is the first penguin at the zoo to have two daddy penguins. They still live as a happy family at the
Central Park Zoo, swimming around for visitors, to this day.
APA Reference of
Book:
Richardson, J. and Parnell, P. (2005). And tango makes three. New York, NY. Little
Simon.
Impressions: This
is really a precious story about a sweet penguin family that is a little
different than the average penguin.
Geared towards young children it would certainly introduce the topic of
the different kinds of families that exist.
Considering that this is a true story, it would definitely be
interesting to present the topic to students.
Clearly this is a sensitive subject though as it implies that the
penguins are two gay male penguins who fall in love with each other and have a
family.
This is a controversial issue that many families would be
opposed to having their kids read. Other
families would enjoy and applaud the message this book gives. If permissible for students to read, this
would be a great way for them to read about and think about this topic. It is not graphic or inappropriate in any
way. The story is an enjoyable read but
definitely one that would have to be approached in a careful manner to respect
different families wishes for their children in a school setting.
Professional
Review:
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.
Source: Roach, J. (2005). And tango makes
three. [Review
of the book And tango makes
three by J. Richardson and P. Parnell]. School Library
Journal: The Book Review. 81. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569
Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic
Library Uses: After
reading the book, focus on the way that Silo and Roy love Tango. Discuss ways that students feel loved by
their families. As a group, have
students share ways they feel taken care of by their families and actions that
make them feel that their parents love them.
Next, pass out a template of an egg to represent the egg Tango was in in
the story (this can be on cardstock to make it more sturdy). Have the students “cut” their egg into
different sections by drawing lines.
They should have at least 5 sections, but more would be permissible. In each section they should write one of the
ways they feel loved by their family and draw a picture in that section to
represent what they have written. If
time permits students can share their eggs with each other.
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