And Tango Makes Three

Since Valentines Days was this weekend, I felt it appropriate to read a love story of sorts. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell is an adorable tale about two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who fall in love and build their nest together. They are just like all the other penguin couples except for the fact that they cannot lay eggs and have children. At first, they try unsuccessfully to hatch a rock in their nest, but then the zookeeper gives them a real egg. The egg hatches and Roy and Silo become caring fathers for their baby, Tango. Best of all, this is actually a true about a family of penguins in the Central Park Zoo. I understand that Roy, Silo, and Tango are all still alive and well (although unfortunately Roy and Silo have since split up).

My children both enjoyed hearing this story. It is well-written with an interesting plot and not overtly preachy. I used the book to springboard into a brief discussion about human families as well. My three year old was able to understand that while he has one mommy and one daddy that Tango has two daddies instead. We also talked about how some human families also have two daddies or two mommies. With my six-year-old we were able to take things a step farther. We talked about whether Roy, Silo, and Tango are still a family even though Tango's egg was laid by another penguin and what makes a 'real' family. I highly recommend this story as a means to introduce young children to the concept of nontraditional families.