And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Oh no!  There’s a penguin egg with no mommy at the Central Park zoo—who will take care of it and help it hatch?

Lucky for the zookeepers, there are two daddy penguins, Roy and Silo, who are up to that important job.  Roy and Silo are best friends who love each other and do everything together, and they make excellent fathers, keeping the egg warm and taking good care of it until it hatches into their daughter, Tango (because it takes two to tango!).

This book, very sweetly illustrated, documents the true tale of this two-father penguin family in a very matter-of-fact and adorable way.  Children who happen to have two moms or dads might especially find that the story resonates with them.  The story helps address themes of acceptance and love and would be positive for any age and would certainly serve as an age-appropriate introduction to diversity and tolerance.  After all, the world is filled with many different kinds of families!

*This is one of the most-frequently challenged books today and made the top ten list of challenged books for last year.  Many challengers feel that this picture book has a homosexual or liberal agenda and don’t find it appropriate for their own families. 

To that end, here’s a tip: if you’re unsure about bringing this book home for your littles, why not take 5 minutes to read it first? 

Most children’s books are extremely quick reads, and reading the entire text is the best and easiest way to determine whether a book is right for your family.  If you don’t have time to read it, try skimming the text, reading the subject headings on the publication page, asking your librarian, or reading reviews on Amazon.com or other review sites.