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.

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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.