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.

Elena's Serenade

The other day I took my kids into the dentist. As my kindergartener was discussing the visit afterward, I realized that he'd confused the hygienist with the dentist so I reminded him that the hygienist (a woman) was the one who had cleaned his teeth and the dentist (a man) was the one who had showed us his x-rays. After thinking for a minute he queries, "So boys are dentists and girls are hygienists?" This surprised me, given that we've already had several discussions about this sort of thing, but it seems we can always use a reminder. Elena's Serenade by Campbell Geeslin is a fantastical tale about a young Mexican girl who dreams of becoming a glass blower like her papa, but is told that girls cannot make glass. When Elena sets off on a journey to meet the master glass blowers in Monterrey, she discovers she is able to make glass like no one else, using music to bring the glass to life. The story is rich with Mexican culture and tradition and the vibrant illustrations by Mexican folk artist, Ana Juan, give this story life.

My sons were enthralled by this magical tale and afterward we discussed that while this is obviously not a true story, it still talks about true things. I asked them if they thought Elena would have ever discovered her magic abilities if she had listened to the people who told her that girls cannot be glass blowers. We talked about whether it's true that girls cannot accomplish the same things as boys and how it affects girls when the people don't believe in them. Then we touched upon the other parts of the story that are true. My boys learned that Mexico is a real country and that Monterrey is a place that really was famous at one time for their glass blowers who made bottles. To top it off we watched this video clip illustrating how modern glass blowers blow and shape glass. This book both challenges sexism and celebrates Mexican culture, yet it is entertaining first and foremost. The plot is fun and imaginative on it's own with the added bonus of imparting a valuable lesson.

I am a Latter-Day Saint (Mormon)

I was raised Mormon and made a conscious decision to leave the faith as an adult. Given that, it may seem strange that I would choose a book to educate my children on Mormon beliefs, but the fact is that my children's grandparents, cousins, and other relatives from my side of the family still believe and practice. We also live in Utah so a good share of the friends and neighbors are Mormon as well and I feel like they should have a basic understanding of something that they're bound to encounter regularly.

Being Utah, there was a wide selection of books about Mormonism in the children's section, but the majority were written for a Mormon audience. I could only find one book written to explain Mormonism to non-Mormon children titled I am a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) by Gayla Wise. I found it to be adequate, but I didn't love it. I had  been hoping for something respectful, but objective, however this read more like a Mormon missionary would present information. I would have emphasized slightly different information and my son was didn't find it a particularly interesting read, but I'm not aware of any better resources. It did introduce my son to vocabulary that he's likely to hear, such as 'ward', 'preisthood', and 'general conference' and it talked a bit about how the church was formed and what Mormons believe. I would give this book a somewhat neutral rating. Not great, but not terrible either and I'm not aware of a better alternative.

If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks

If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold tells the story of a young girl named Marcie who climbs aboard a magical, talking bus. Marcie learns that one of the seats is reserved for a special passenger named Rosa Parks and while they are waiting for her to board, the bus teaches Marcie about Rosa Park's life, her achievements, and her contribution to the black civil rights movement. At the end of the ride Marcie meets Rosa Parks herself and realizes that the other passengers on the bus are also prominent heroes for civil rights, such as Martin Luther King, Jr and Raymond Parks. The story ends with Marcie being dropped off at her school prepared to share all she has learned with her friends.

This was a cute story with lots of information. My kindergartener did find it interesting, although I glossed over a few parts of it. I imagine it would probably be best suited for slightly older kids although he still learned quite a bit. The book briefly mentions the Ku Klux Klan and some of the violent acts that were perpetrated against blacks (lynching, burning homes, etc) so it may be a bit frightening for some younger, more sensitive children. Afterward, my son and I discussed how it would have felt to grow up in a world where your rights are not respected. We talked about how much courage Rosa Parks had to do what she believed was right even though she knew it could be dangerous for her. And of course we talked about how even though we have made much progress because of people like Rosa Parks, that people are still discriminated against today because of the color of their skin and that we still need people who are brave enough to stand against it.