Book Review: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

 

Book: And Tango Makes Three

Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Illustrator: Henry Cole

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication date: 2005

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Picture Book 

Lexile Score: AD720L 

Target Audience: Preschool - 2nd Grade

Brief Summary

This is a true story that is set in Central Park Zoo. The authors take the reader to the penguin exhibit of the zoo where they begin telling the story of two male penguins named Roy and Silo. They explain how the girl penguins started finding and mating with the boy penguins but Roy and Silo were always together. The zookeeper Mr. Gramzay noticed the pairing and realized that they were going to be together. He would watch the two and he noticed that they even tried to hatch a rock because they saw the other penguins keeping eggs warm. Mr. Gramzay saw that one penguin couple could only care for one egg at a time so he took their second egg and placed it in Roy and Silo’s nest. The two penguins took turns keeping the egg warm until one day it hatched. Mr. Gramzay decided to name the baby Tango because “it takes two to tango.” The story concludes with the authors telling the reader how the family has stayed together and nurtured each other throughout the years. 

Evaluation: 27/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 4

Appropriateness - 3

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping - 3

Relatability - 3

Readability/Cohesiveness - 3

Critical Thinking - 3

This book tells the great story of Tango and how his story started. This story takes the reader through everything between his "parents" Roy and Silo and it is an amazing journey told through the illustrations. I would definitely read this story in a classroom to teach students about acceptance to others in the classroom when they have a family that might not be exactly like everyone else's.

Literary Elements

1. Setting - The setting of this book is in Central Park Zoo in New York City.

2.Memoir -This book is basically the memior written about Roy's, Silo's, and Tango's lives as a family and how they were created. It is something that could teach children to use the good stories out there and make them into something important that others can read later on in life. If this were to be the main topic of a lesson, I would use this book and others to show students examples and then I would make them create their own memoirs or get together with a partner and write a memoir about their partner.

3. Rising Action - The rising action in this story is after Mr. Gramzay puts an egg in Silo and Ray's nest. The reader waits and waits for some build up that then creates the climax. This time when the male penguins are keeping the egg safe is a very important time in the book called the rising action.