Module 15: And Tango Makes Three

Summary:

This true story tells about Roy and Silo, two male penguins living in the Central Park Zoo. They do everything together and don't seem interested in the other female penguins. They do everything that the other penguin couples do - until one day they notice that everyone else is hatching eggs. Roy and Silo desperately want to hatch their own egg and, with the help of a caring zookeeper, they end up getting their wish!

Reference:

Richardson, J. (2005). And Tango makes three. New York: NY: Simon & Shuster.

Impressions:

This book is frequently challenged due to the subject matter but it remains a high quality piece of children's literature. One thing that many (adult) readers should know is that this is, in fact, a TRUE story. Richardson takes it and provides a heartwarming book that is told in a way that children can understand. 

Professional Review:

In this true, straightforwardly (so to speak) delivered tale, two male chinstrap penguins at New York City’s Central Park Zoo bond, build a nest and—thanks to a helping hand from an observant zookeeper—hatch and raise a penguin chick. Seeing that the penguins dubbed Roy and Silo “did everything together. They bowed to each other. And walked together. They sang to each other. And swam together,” their keeper, Mr. Gramzay, thinks, “They must be in love.” And so, when Roy and Silo copy the other penguin couples and build a nest of stones, it’s Gramzay who brings a neighboring couple’s second egg for them to tend, then names the resulting hatchling “Tango.” Cole gives the proud parents and their surrogate offspring small smiles, but otherwise depicts figures and setting with tidy, appealing accuracy. Unlike Harvey Fierstein’s groundbreaking The Sissy Duckling (2002), also illustrated by Cole, this doesn’t carry its agenda on its shoulder; readers may find its theme of acceptance even more convincing for being delivered in such a matter of fact, non-preachy way.

[Review of the book And Tango makes three]. (June 2005). Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/justin-richardson/and-tango-makes-three/

Library Uses: 

This book would make a great addition to a display with books about all types of families. This story really is talking about what a family is at its core and I think that's an important theme for kids to understand. I think including this book in the selection could give students the opportunity to see that there are many types of families that may look different from their own.

Book Trailer: Tua and the Elephant

Book Trailer: James and Giant Peach

Book Trailer: The One and Only Ivan

Module 14: Fold Me a Poem

Summary:

The story follows a boy as he creates many origami animals. Each page is full of colorful illustrations and poetry about the animals the boy is creating. This book is a tribute to two arts that children can learn and enjoy creating on their own.

Reference:

George, K. (2005). Fold me a poem. New York, NY: Harcourt.

Impressions:

The pages are filled with many types of poetry which will expose kids to a wide variety of poetry and will allow them to explore their creativity once they try writing poems of their own. This book is sure to spark interest in the art of origami and also provides resources at the end to allow children to learn more about it.

Professional Review:

This unusual poetry volume is a dazzling celebration of imagination. George's (Hummingbird Nest ) haiku-like poems and Stringer's (Mud ) colorful origami animals combine to tell the story of a child who needs only squares of paper to create a world of play. The unnamed child's contemplative face and short hair allows both boys and girls to identify with the main character, as he or she sprinkles snowflakes made from paper punch holes over origami penguins, creates a barrier between rabbits and foxes with wooden blocks, forms a shadow figure hippo with a flashlight and fashions a bookmark from a giraffe. Stringer's illustrations help connect the poems visually, and the pages burst with colors and patterns. On one spread, the poem "Peacocks" features a close-up of the child's hands folding the birds' tails while, across the gutter, the finished peacocks strut in a garden of origami tulips to illustrate a poem called "Spring." Each turn of the page brings a clever new perspective or insight—even humor. A "Disappointed Moth," pictured with brown polka-dotted wings, asks, "Why didn't you/ save any butterfly colors/ for me ?" The book includes a list of how-to origami books, but unfortunately lacks a set of instructions for making the animals. Nonetheless, this poetry collection creatively models low-cost child's play that requires only a little know-how and a bit of ingenuity.

[Review of the book Fold me a poem]. (April 2005). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-15-202501-4

Library Uses: 

After reading this book aloud, it can be placed in the library's Makerspace along with other poetry and origami books. Students may then choose to create their own poetry or origami pieces in the Makerspace.

Module 13: Giants Beware

Summary:

Claudette has one goal in life: to become a giant slayer! There's only one problem, her village has been safe from giants since Pierre the XXXII ran off the only giant. Claudette doesn't feel justice was served and believes the giant needs to be slayed!

Reference:

Aguirre, J. (2012). Giants beware! New York: NY: First Second.

Impressions:

Clever and funny. This charming graphic novel offers humor and excitement for readers who love adventure. Claudette keeps interesting company to say the least. Her brother, Gaston, a budding pastry chef who has no qualms about being a scaredy cat and her best friend, Marie, who really just wants to be a princess one day. This unlikely trio provide the right about of laughs and lessons to keep readers engaged.

Professional Review:

Comedy and fairy tale sensibilities balance perfectly in this exciting debut by writer Aguirre and illustrator Rosado. Delightfully spunky Claudette is set on becoming a monster slayer like her father (who is missing limbs due to his earlier adventures). When she hears the story of a giant on the loose, she is determined to leave her home—accompanied by her cowardly brother, Gaston, and best friend Marie—in order to set things right. Driven by Claudette’s courage, Marie, who wants nothing more than to become a princess, shows proper heroic wits, and Gaston reveals inner strength and determination. When Claudette discovers that not all stories are as they seem, she and her friends must fool the adults who have come to bring them home to protect an innocent monster. The rich world and engaging characters are a surefire hit—and the glorious full-color illustrations, which pack a novel’s worth of expression onto cartoon faces, should bring readers back for multiple reads of this many-layered story. One can only hope that Aguirre and Rosado have more adventures planned. 

[Review of the book Giants beware!]. (April 2012). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-582-7

Library Uses: 

Students can create comic strips using the characters from the story. They can create a new adventure for Claudette, Marie, and Gaston. This will be a great lesson in speech bubbles and the directionality of graphic novels and how they are read.

Module 12: Nelson Madela

Summary:

This biography tells the story of Nelson Mandela's heroic struggles. The story takes us through Mandela's life as a young boy and how he fought to create change - even at the expense of being imprisoned.  

Reference:

Nelson, K. (2013). Nelson Mandela. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Impressions:

This book is a beautiful tribute to South Africa's revolutionary leader. While Mandela's story is an important one to be told, Kadir Nelson's illustrations take this book to another level. The paintings practically glow and jump off the pages. There is absolutely no question as to why this book won the Coretta Scott King illustrator award. 

Professional Review:

Starting with the full-page cover portrait, this glowing picture-book biography offers a celebratory introduction to Nelson Mandela’s life for young readers. Clear free verse and handsome, unframed paintings follow the iconic leader from his tribal childhood and his work as a young city lawyer through his political leadership against the brutality of apartheid, his long imprisonment, and then the triumph of his election as president of his country. The story doesn’t mention conflicts both political (the splits in the anti-apartheid movement) and personal (the bitter rift with his daughters), as well as the continuing inequality South Africans face. Still, words and images bring close the cruel apartheid segregation in daily life, including one double-page spread of Cape Town’s glorious beaches with the sign that reads White Area. Then there is the view of prisoners on Robben Island hammering rocks into dust. In contrast, the final pages show today’s nonsegregated beaches and people of all races standing together free at last. A long final note fills in more. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With an internationally beloved leader as its subject and a multi-award-winning artist as its creator, this title is sure to be on every library’s must-purchase list.

[Review of the book Nelson Mandela]. (September 2012). Booklist. Retrieved from: https://www.booklistonline.com/Nelson-Mandela-Kadir-Nelson/pid=5648303

Library Uses: 

This is a great selection when introducing students to the concept of a biography written in narrative form. Have students look at this biography paired with another biography about Nelson Mandela written in expository form. Students can compare and contrast the two types of biographies noting that both types are providing factual information in different ways.