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And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell
A gentle, true-story picture book that presents a same-sex parent family with calm simplicity, making it a warm and useful read-aloud for very young children.
What It's About
And Tango Makes Three is a short picture book for preschool and early elementary readers, based on a real situation at the Central Park Zoo in New York. Two male chinstrap penguins who had formed a bond were given an egg that had been left without a family, and they hatched and raised the chick together. The authors tell this in plain, rhythmic prose that stays close to what a small child can follow.
The experience is less about plot than about watching a family form. Henry Cole's illustrations carry much of the emotional weight, showing the penguins' daily routines in the zoo setting with warmth and clear detail, so the pictures do much of the explaining for children who are still learning to read. Adults reading aloud will find the text does not hurry, and it leaves room for questions and for a child to point at what is happening on each page.
Its main purpose is to present an ordinary family as a plausible one. The story does not lecture about its subject and does not dwell on controversy. It takes only a few minutes to read, and it works best as a shared conversation rather than a lesson delivered from the page.
Read this if you…
- want a simple, honest picture book about a family with two fathers
- are looking for a read-aloud for preschoolers that introduces animals and belonging
- want a starting point for talking with young children about different kinds of families
Skip it if you…
- want a story with a plot, conflict, or character development
- are looking for accurate detail about penguin biology or zoo science
Key Ideas
- 1
Family defined by daily care
The book's central claim is that a family is made by who shows up, feeds, protects, and stays. The penguins' bond is shown through repeated acts of care rather than through any explanation of how the family came to be, which lets young readers focus on what families do together.
- 2
A true story told without embellishment
The book keeps close to the events at the zoo and avoids inventing dramatic obstacles. That restraint is its main strength: the story feels like a report of something that happened, so children can accept it as ordinary rather than as a message being pushed at them.
- 3
Illustrations as a second narrator
Much of the meaning sits in the pictures, which show the penguins' nesting, feeding, and growing chick in detail. Children who cannot yet follow the text can still track the family, and adults can use the images to point out details and prompt discussion.
- 4
Designed for reading aloud together
The language is simple and repetitive enough for a child to join in, and the pacing suits a caregiver's lap. It is a book to return to, with each reading surfacing new details in the artwork and new questions from the child.
Limitations
Some readers find the book's gentleness too tidy, since it does not address any difficulty the couple or the chick might face, including reactions from other animals or the realities of penguin behavior. The story is true only in its outline; the penguins' lives are simplified and framed in human terms. The book has also been challenged or removed in some schools and libraries, which reflects the debate it has sparked rather than a flaw in the writing, but families should know it is a point of contention.
Questions Readers Ask
- Is And Tango Makes Three suitable for very young children?
- Yes, it is designed for preschool and early elementary readers. The language is short and repetitive, and the illustrations carry much of the story, so children can follow along even before they read independently. Most adults can read it aloud in a few minutes.
- Is the book based on a true story?
- Yes, it is based on a real situation at the Central Park Zoo involving two male penguins who raised a chick together. The book keeps to the broad outline of those events, but it simplifies them for young children and does not attempt a full account of the zoo's history or penguin behavior.
- Is it still relevant, and how does it compare to other penguin picture books?
- It remains widely read and discussed, mainly for its treatment of family rather than for its nature facts. Compared with general penguin picture books that focus on animal habits, it is much more about belonging and care, so it suits families and conversations about identity better than it suits nature study.
- Published
- 2005
- ISBN
- 9788484649847
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Children's Books
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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