AND TANGO MAKES THREE
By Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrated by Henry Cole
What kind of person would ban a picture book about a childless penguin couple that is able, with the help of the Central Park Zookeeper, to adopt and raise a baby penguin of their own? A person who takes issue with the fact that the penguins in question are both male, that’s who.
AND TANGO MAKES THREE is the story of Roy and Silo, male chinstrap penguins living at the Central Park Zoo. Roy and Silo behaved like all chinstrap penguin couples. They bowed and danced to each other, they walked together, they sang to each other, and they built a nest together. They even found something that looked like an egg (it was a rock) and tried to hatch it together. So when zookeepers found an opportunity for Roy and Silo to become parents (a fertile penguin couple with a poor history of raising twins had laid two eggs), they leant a helping hand. Roy and Silo rose to the challenge. The pair successfully incubated the egg and raised the baby penguin that hatched from it.
The power of this book, for me, is the simple fact that it is a TRUE STORY. Gay couples exist in other species. It is unusual, yes, but it is a normal course of events. So there. Besides that, this is a beautifully rendered picture book with superb watercolor illustrations and a happy ending. What’s to ban?
In the words of the American Library Association, “Read Banned Books. They’re your ticket to freedom.”