And Tango Makes Three
Encyclopedia
And Tango Makes Three is a 2005 children's book
written by Peter Parnell
and Justin Richardson
and illustrated by Henry Cole. The book is based on the true story of Roy and Silo
, two male Chinstrap Penguin
s in New York's Central Park Zoo
. The book follows the six years of their life when they formed a couple and were given an egg to raise.
The book has won many awards but also been at the center of numerous censorship
and culture war
debates on same-sex marriage
, adoption and homosexuality in animals
. The American Library Association
reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged
book of 2006 to 2010, except for 2009 when it was the second most challenged.
The book is based on the story of Roy and Silo
, two male Chinstrap Penguin
s in New York's Central Park Zoo
. The book follows part of this time in the penguins' lives. The pair were observed trying to hatch a rock that resembled an egg
. When zookeepers realized that Roy and Silo were both male, it occurred to them to give them an egg to hatch. A second egg was obtained from a male-female penguin couple, named Betty and Porkey, who had two eggs and could not care for both at once. Together as a family, Roy and Silo hatched and raised a healthy, female, chick who was named "Tango" by the keepers.
in animals is something completely made up and is considered controversial by conservative religious groups who oppose LGBT social movements
because these findings seem to point to the occurrence of homosexuality in humans
. Whether this has logical or ethical implications is also a source of debate.
Senior penguin keeper Rob Gramzay said that he never saw the pair complete a sex act, but the two did engage in mating rituals like entwining their necks and vocalizing to one another.
Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the book is far from a “true story.” “It’s very misleading,” she said, “and it’s a very disingenuous, inaccurate way to promote a political agenda to little kids. What they’re not telling kids is that the supposedly gay penguin who is the star of this story later mated with a female penguin in real life." The penguin’s heterosexual behavior was widely reported in national news, including the Chicago Tribune
.
The American Library Association reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged book of 2006, 2007, and 2008. The book dropped to second position in 2009 but returned to the top slot in 2010.
In Shiloh, Illinois
, some parents of students at Shiloh Elementary School requested in November 2006 that the book be placed in a restricted section of the library and for the school to require parental permission prior to checking the book out. The school's superintendent resolved instead to keep the book freely available.
In Missouri
, parents had the book moved to the school library's non-fiction section.
In Charlotte, North Carolina
, Peter Gorman, the superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
, ordered the book removed from school libraries on December 20, 2006. Gorman agreed to let a committee review the decision due to concerns that the policy on challenging books was not followed.
In 2008, Loudoun County Public Schools
Superintendent Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick removed the book from general circulation at public elementary school libraries on the basis of a parent's complaint, overriding the decision of a Sterling, Virginia
school principal and staff members who deemed the book suitable for young readers. Hatrick subsequently returned the book into circulation as he found "significant procedural errors that he believes void the process followed in this matter".
In Calvert County, Maryland near Washington, D.C. a mother requested that the book be removed from the children's section and placed in an area specifically for books about "alternative or non-traditional families." The library board of trustees denied the request, concluding that libraries should disseminate information fairly and without bias or judgment. Shortly thereafter, in November 2008, the Calvert County Library Board of Trustees heard another challenge to the book. A parent, describing the book as presenting issues of sexuality to children too young to understand them, asked that the book be removed from the library, shelved with adult books on sexuality, or marked with a "red dot" to alert parents to its controversial nature. The parent charged that the book's statement that penguins Roy and Silo "slept together" is a reference to sexual behavior between the birds.
In Ankeny, Iowa
parents at the local elementary school asked in 2008 that this book be placed in a restricted section of the library so only parents could check it out. The school district's lawyer argued that such a decision, if challenged, would likely not hold up in court. PEN America and the American Library Association sent letters urging the board to preserve students' access to Tango. On 12/15/08 the Ankeny school board voted 6 to 1 to keep the book in general circulation.
In Chico, California, a school committee formed of parents, teachers, librarians and school administrators, voted unanimously to retain the book on the shelves of the Chico Unified School District libraries following the complaints of three parents that the book was unsuitable for young children.
The book is listed on the 15 Most Controversial Picture Books because of the controversy surrounding the popular children's book. A school librarian in Massachusetts feared losing her job after introducing the book to students.
(ACLU) sent an advisory letter to the Calvert County, MD Board of Library Trustees, at the time facing a challenge to And Tango Makes Three, explaining that unrestricted access to the book in public libraries is protected freedom of speech
under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
. The ACLU
cited numerous judicial opinions supporting this view.
In the Wichita Falls case cited, the Federal Court found unconstitutional a local resolution removing two controversial children’s books from children’s section of public library and placing them in an adult section. The court stated that those looking for the books and those browsing would be unable to locate them. The Court further found "[I]f a parent wishes to prevent her child from reading a particular book, that parent can and should accompany the child to the Library, and should not prevent all children in the community from gaining access to constitutionally protected materials. Where First Amendment rights are concerned, those seeking to restrict access to information should be forced to take affirmative steps to shield themselves from unwanted materials; the onus should not be on the general public to overcome barriers to their access to fully protected information."
Awards from children's groups:
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
written by Peter Parnell
Peter Parnell
Peter Parnell is an American playwright. His plays include The Cider House Rules, Flaubert's Latest, Hyde in Hollywood, An Imaginary Life, QED, Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket, Romance Language, Scooter Thomas Makes It to the Top of the World, and Sorrows of Stephen.Parnell is also noted for...
and Justin Richardson
Justin Richardson
Justin Richardson is an American author best known for co-authoring And Tango Makes Three with Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three is a children's picture book based on the true story of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who pair-bonded, built a nest, and together hatched an egg...
and illustrated by Henry Cole. The book is based on the true story of Roy and Silo
Roy and Silo
Roy and Silo are Chinstrap Penguins who were a male-male pair in New York City's Central Park Zoo.Roy and Silo met at the zoo and they began their relationship in 2004. The pair were observed trying to hatch a rock as if it were an egg. They also attempted to steal eggs from other penguin couples...
, two male Chinstrap Penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
The Chinstrap Penguin is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island and Balleny...
s in New York's Central Park Zoo
Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is a small zoo located in Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and the New York Aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society , and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums .The zoo began in the 1860s as a...
. The book follows the six years of their life when they formed a couple and were given an egg to raise.
The book has won many awards but also been at the center of numerous censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
and culture war
Culture war
The culture war in American usage is a metaphor used to claim that political conflict is based on sets of conflicting cultural values. The term frequently implies a conflict between those values considered traditionalist or conservative and those considered progressive or liberal...
debates on same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, adoption and homosexuality in animals
Homosexuality in animals
Homosexual behavior in animals refers to the documented evidence of homosexual and bisexual behavior in non-human species. Such behaviors include sex, courtship, affection, pair bonding, and parenting among same sex animals...
. The American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged
Challenge (literature)
The American Library Association defines a challenge to literature as an attempt by a person or group of people to have materials, such as books, removed from a library or school curriculum, or otherwise restricted. Merely objecting to material is not a challenge without the attempt to remove or...
book of 2006 to 2010, except for 2009 when it was the second most challenged.
Plot synopsis
Roy and Silo
Roy and Silo are Chinstrap Penguins who were a male-male pair in New York City's Central Park Zoo.Roy and Silo met at the zoo and they began their relationship in 2004. The pair were observed trying to hatch a rock as if it were an egg. They also attempted to steal eggs from other penguin couples...
, two male Chinstrap Penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
The Chinstrap Penguin is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island and Balleny...
s in New York's Central Park Zoo
Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is a small zoo located in Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and the New York Aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society , and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums .The zoo began in the 1860s as a...
. The book follows part of this time in the penguins' lives. The pair were observed trying to hatch a rock that resembled an egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. When zookeepers realized that Roy and Silo were both male, it occurred to them to give them an egg to hatch. A second egg was obtained from a male-female penguin couple, named Betty and Porkey, who had two eggs and could not care for both at once. Together as a family, Roy and Silo hatched and raised a healthy, female, chick who was named "Tango" by the keepers.
Reception
Due to the penguin parents being of the same sex, some adults in the United States have objected to children reading the book. They believe that the existence of homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in animals is something completely made up and is considered controversial by conservative religious groups who oppose LGBT social movements
LGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
because these findings seem to point to the occurrence of homosexuality in humans
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
. Whether this has logical or ethical implications is also a source of debate.
Senior penguin keeper Rob Gramzay said that he never saw the pair complete a sex act, but the two did engage in mating rituals like entwining their necks and vocalizing to one another.
Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the book is far from a “true story.” “It’s very misleading,” she said, “and it’s a very disingenuous, inaccurate way to promote a political agenda to little kids. What they’re not telling kids is that the supposedly gay penguin who is the star of this story later mated with a female penguin in real life." The penguin’s heterosexual behavior was widely reported in national news, including the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
The American Library Association reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged book of 2006, 2007, and 2008. The book dropped to second position in 2009 but returned to the top slot in 2010.
In Shiloh, Illinois
Shiloh, Illinois
Shiloh is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. A 2005 census recorded a population of 11,000.-Geography:Shiloh is located at ....
, some parents of students at Shiloh Elementary School requested in November 2006 that the book be placed in a restricted section of the library and for the school to require parental permission prior to checking the book out. The school's superintendent resolved instead to keep the book freely available.
In Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, parents had the book moved to the school library's non-fiction section.
In Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Peter Gorman, the superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is a local education agency headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the public school system for Mecklenburg County. With over 133,600 students enrolled, it is the second-largest school district in North Carolina and the twentieth-largest in the nation...
, ordered the book removed from school libraries on December 20, 2006. Gorman agreed to let a committee review the decision due to concerns that the policy on challenging books was not followed.
In 2008, Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia, United States government, and administers public schools in the county...
Superintendent Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick removed the book from general circulation at public elementary school libraries on the basis of a parent's complaint, overriding the decision of a Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 27,822.It is located northwest of Herndon, east of Ashburn, and west of Great Falls, and includes part of Dulles International Airport and the former AOL corporate headquarters...
school principal and staff members who deemed the book suitable for young readers. Hatrick subsequently returned the book into circulation as he found "significant procedural errors that he believes void the process followed in this matter".
In Calvert County, Maryland near Washington, D.C. a mother requested that the book be removed from the children's section and placed in an area specifically for books about "alternative or non-traditional families." The library board of trustees denied the request, concluding that libraries should disseminate information fairly and without bias or judgment. Shortly thereafter, in November 2008, the Calvert County Library Board of Trustees heard another challenge to the book. A parent, describing the book as presenting issues of sexuality to children too young to understand them, asked that the book be removed from the library, shelved with adult books on sexuality, or marked with a "red dot" to alert parents to its controversial nature. The parent charged that the book's statement that penguins Roy and Silo "slept together" is a reference to sexual behavior between the birds.
In Ankeny, Iowa
Ankeny, Iowa
Ankeny is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 45,562 in the 2010 census, an increase of 68% from the 27,117 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
parents at the local elementary school asked in 2008 that this book be placed in a restricted section of the library so only parents could check it out. The school district's lawyer argued that such a decision, if challenged, would likely not hold up in court. PEN America and the American Library Association sent letters urging the board to preserve students' access to Tango. On 12/15/08 the Ankeny school board voted 6 to 1 to keep the book in general circulation.
In Chico, California, a school committee formed of parents, teachers, librarians and school administrators, voted unanimously to retain the book on the shelves of the Chico Unified School District libraries following the complaints of three parents that the book was unsuitable for young children.
The book is listed on the 15 Most Controversial Picture Books because of the controversy surrounding the popular children's book. A school librarian in Massachusetts feared losing her job after introducing the book to students.
Freedom of speech precedents
In October 2008, the American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
(ACLU) sent an advisory letter to the Calvert County, MD Board of Library Trustees, at the time facing a challenge to And Tango Makes Three, explaining that unrestricted access to the book in public libraries is protected freedom of speech
Freedom of speech in the United States
Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws, with the exception of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words, as well as harassment, privileged...
under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
. The ACLU
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
cited numerous judicial opinions supporting this view.
- Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982): The Court found that, “Our Constitution does not permit the suppression of ideas.” According to the ACLU "The constitutional right to freedom of speech prohibits any attempt by government officials to suppress ideas or information, whether directly through criminal sanctions or 'prior restraints,' or indirectly through political interference with the professional choices made by librarians."
- Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union, 521 U.S. 844 (1997) and Kreimer v. Bureau of Police, 958 F.2d 1242, 1255 (3d Cir.1992). According to the ACLU, "Like the right to express oneself freely, the right to receive information and ideas is protected by the First Amendment. These precepts apply with particular force to public libraries," deemed by the 3rd Circuit Court to be "the quintessential locus of the receipt of information.”
- Sund v. City of Wichita Falls, 121 F. Supp. 2d 530 (N.D. Texas 2000). According to the ACLU, "Whether those seeking to remove books from the library wish to do so completely or merely to sequester or segregate the challenged books, the courts have held such censorship unconstitutional."
In the Wichita Falls case cited, the Federal Court found unconstitutional a local resolution removing two controversial children’s books from children’s section of public library and placing them in an adult section. The court stated that those looking for the books and those browsing would be unable to locate them. The Court further found "[I]f a parent wishes to prevent her child from reading a particular book, that parent can and should accompany the child to the Library, and should not prevent all children in the community from gaining access to constitutionally protected materials. Where First Amendment rights are concerned, those seeking to restrict access to information should be forced to take affirmative steps to shield themselves from unwanted materials; the onus should not be on the general public to overcome barriers to their access to fully protected information."
Editions
- And Tango Makes Three, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, April 26, 2005 ISBN 0-689-87845-1
Awards and nominations
National book awards:- American Library Association Notable Children's Book - 2006
- ASPCA's Henry Bergh Award - 2005
- Gustavus Myer Outstanding Book Award- 2006
- Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Book of the Year - 2006
- Bank StreetBank Street College of EducationBank Street College of Education is located in Manhattan, New York City.-History:Bank Street was founded in 1916 by Lucy Sprague Mitchell as the "Bureau of Educational Experiments"....
Best Book of the Year - 2006 - Cooperative Children's Book Council Choice, and CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book - 2006
- Lambda Literary AwardLambda Literary AwardLambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works which celebrate or explore LGBT themes. Categories include Humor, Romance and Biography. To qualify, a book must have been published in the United States in the year current to the award...
finalist - 2006
Awards from children's groups:
- Sheffield Children's Book Award - shortlisted - 2008
See also
- Homosexual behavior in animals#Penguins
- List of animals displaying homosexual behavior
- Roy and SiloRoy and SiloRoy and Silo are Chinstrap Penguins who were a male-male pair in New York City's Central Park Zoo.Roy and Silo met at the zoo and they began their relationship in 2004. The pair were observed trying to hatch a rock as if it were an egg. They also attempted to steal eggs from other penguin couples...