Authors of ‘And Tango Makes Three’ have a baby

The New York Times ran a very supportive piece about the authors of a very controversial book.

And Tango Makes Three is the award-winning children’s book based on a true story about two male penguins who raised a baby penguin in New York’s Central Park Zoo.

Now the authors of the book, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, have their own baby Tango. In February, the gay couple, who live in the West Village, had their first child. The baby, Gemma Parnell-Richardson, was born to a surrogate mother, the egg fertilized by sperm from one of the men.

The two men first learned of the story of Roy and Silo, two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo, who hatched an egg together, through an article in The New York Times in 2004.

9/8/2007
Sweet story creates an unsettling reaction. “And Tango Makes Three” is the most challenged book for children nationwide.

Banned Books Week – sponsored by the American Library Association – celebrates the freedom to read. Observed since 1982, the annual event tries to stress the significance of ensuring the availability of all viewpoints to readers.

This year marks BBW’s 26th anniversary – September 29 through October 6.

The event is called “Banned Books Week” but the majority of the books featured during the week are merely challenged – thanks to the efforts of librarians to maintain them in their collections. A ‘challenge’ is an attempt to ban or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A successful challenge would result in materials being banned or restricted. BBW celebrates books that have endured through challenges from library patrons.

The sweetest book we ever read to our daughter – and a staple in every gay dad’s library – created quite a stir last year from parents, library patrons and others around the U.S.

“And Tango Makes Three,” the award-winning children’s book based on a true story about two male penguins who raised a baby penguin in New York’s Central Park Zoo, topped the ALA’s annual list of works attracting the most challenges in 2006.

In spite of making some people uncomfortable, ‘Tango’ has earned many top honors. The book was named one of Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Books of the Year. It’s also an ALA Notable Children’s Book Nominee, an ASPCA Henry Bergh Book Award Winner, a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, one of Bank Street Best Books of the Year, and a CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book.