And Tango Makes Three

And Tango Makes Three
Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
illustrated by Henry Cole

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: Non-fiction (banned or challenged book)

And Tango Makes Three retells the true story of two chinstrap penguins who are residents at New York City's Central Park Zoo, Roy and Silo. This story introduces children to the concept that not all families are alike. What is unique about Roy and Silo is the fact that they are both males and in a penguin "relationship". Roy and Silo interact with one another in the same ways a male and female penguin would; the only thing that they couldn't do was to have a baby. One day, their keeper Mr. Gramzay, decides that Roy and Silo would make great parents for an orphaned egg. Roy and Silo do a wonderful job caring for the egg, and raising their baby, Tango.

While I don't agree with the reasoning behind challenging this book, I am not sure whether I would recommend this book for general use in the classroom. However, I think it would be a great addition to a school library's shelves. If a teacher has a student who is dealing with the familial issues prevalent in this book, I think And Tango Makes Three would be an excellent resource for that student. Overall, a wonderful retelling of true events that can be useful for sudents who are struggling with the concepts of "different" families.