Book about two gay penguins
Gay penguin story on list of disputed library books
Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, a graphic novel about a young Iranian girl growing up in the years after the country's Islamic Revolution, is ranked second.
The list of titles, all of which have been the subject of a formal written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting they be removed, is compiled annually by the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom.
The alleged "cultural insensitivity" of Alexie's novel is one of the reasons cited in complaints calling for its removal.
And Tango Makes Three - based on a real-life story of two male penguins who hatched an egg at the New York Zoo - is accused of promoting a homosexual agenda.
Other titles on the list include Toni Morrison's debut novel The Bluest Eye, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and A Stolen Life, a kidnapping memoir by Jaycee Dugard.
The ALA counted challenges in , roughly the identical as were lodged in
Topic: Banned Books Week — LGBT
And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell ()
Since its release, "And Tango Makes Three" has consistently been a frequently challenged book.
This book is based on a true story about a penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, are "a minute bit different." They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the other couples start hatching eggs, they want to be parents, too. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing. The committed and enthusiastic fathers do a great job of hatching their funny and adorable daughter, and the three can still be seen at the zoo today. (PreSchool through Grade 3) -- Library Review
The Pengrooms
The Pengrooms is a picture book that any kid would immediately adore. From a pair of flamingos dancing the tango to a four-layer cake made of snow cones, The Pengrooms has it all. The book follows Pringle and Finn, two adorable penguins, as they journey across the animal kingdom to deliver wedding cakes to their fuzzy and feathery friends. Along the way, Pringle and Finn also just so happen to be preparing for their own wedding, which is where the snow-cone cake comes in. This book is ultimately a vivid celebration of LGBTQ+ love.
Not only is this a book that any kid would absolutely love, but it’s also a book that many LGBTQ+ adults might feel validated by. LGBTQ+ representation is hard to come by, especially in the particularly heteronormative space that is children’s literature. I can’t serve but feel that there’s been a Pengrooms-shaped gap on my bookshelf my entire life. I was really moved upon reading this book because I perceive the immensely positive effect it will h
And Tango Makes Three: The Real Story of Central Park Zoo&#;s Same-Sex Penguin Family, Illustrated
The recent historic marriage equality hearings reminded me of an old favorite: And Tango Makes Three (public library) by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, with charming illustrations by Henry Cole. It tells the heartening true story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo, who fell in love in and started a family, raising little Tango &#; the zoo&#;s first and only baby-girl with two daddies.
But nothing happened. Then, Mr. Gramzay got an idea:
In , however, just after And Tango Makes Three was published, Roy and Silo parted ways and Silo coupled with a female penguin. Meanwhile, Tango formed a same-sex relationship with another female penguin named Tanuzi. Tango and Tanuzi possess remained together for every mating cycle since.