And Tango Makes Three (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 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
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. 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." Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689878451
• ISBN-13: 978-0689878459
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Zoos > Nonfiction
  #1 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Adoption > Nonfiction
  #5 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Zoos > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

162 of 192 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And Tango Makes Three, May 23, 2005

By	G. Rovario-Cole - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a wonderful book. This story of two male penguins who were given the chance to nurture an egg and the penguin chick they hatched had me smiling from page one. My five year old was enchanted and I know that it will be a frequent re-read. I love the message of diversity, the story that's told in a loving way but mostly I love the illustrations. The fuzzy penguin chick pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

159 of 190 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful true story that will open minds and warm hearts!, May 13, 2005

By	Marcia, children's book nut "mdvger3" (San Bruno, ca United States) - See all my reviews

This is a true story of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo that decided that they were a couple. They built a nest of rocks like all the other couples and sat on the rocks hoping for a chick like all the other penguins. With a little help, they ended up with their own special family. What a wonderful way to introduce children to the concept of different types of families! The love they have for one another is so touching and natural. It proves that these bonds form quite naturally and that the love shared is just as valid as in the traditional family.

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a true story and a lesson in tolerance, March 26, 2007

By	S. Druckenbrod "teacher" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a kindergarten teacher and I find this book to be an excellent way to demonstrate "alternative" kinds of love. It's not "political" although it has been controversial. It's a true story about 2 male penguins who become close companions and who nurture and egg and baby penguin together. It didn't shock my students. They take life how it is and recognise love and goodness. I highly recommend this book for every elementary class!