Oct 02

When check-out time arrives, the kindergartners hand me their school ID card & the book they have selected so that I can scan the items into the school’s computer. One trend I’ve noticed is that the boys seem to prefer non-fiction books about reptiles, birds, & dinosaurs. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not into wildlife so it should come as no surprise that, for the most part, I don’t recognize most of these book titles. However, this morning, one little boy handed me a book with three penguins on the cover and I instantly recognized it. It was And Tango Makes Three.

We own this book, but I’ll let Wikipedia describe it.

The book is based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male Chinstrap Penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo. The book follows the six years of their life when they formed a couple and were given an egg to raise.

The book has won many awards but also been at the center of numerous censorship and culture war debates on same-sex marriage, adoption and homosexuality in animals. The American Library Association reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged book of 2006 to 2010, except for 2009 when it was the second most challenged.

I’m quite sure the little boy picked it because of the cover and is unaware of the plot. (Remember these are kindergartners & most of them can barely read, if at all.) This book is certainly age appropriate for a kindergartner & hopefully his parents will see it as an opportunity to explain the multitude of family structures that exist in the world and are even found in his own classroom. For his parents to have that opportunity, whether they take it or not, is a wonderful thing & I’m thankful my school district doesn’t censor the book or relegate it to requiring special permission to check out. 

Nevertheless, I would be lying if I said a tiny part of me didn’t think, “What are the odds this happens during the one hour I’m volunteering and during Banned Book Week? Sh*t! I just know if the parents get mad they’re going to blame this on the whole ‘we got a gay dad volunteering in the library’ thing.”

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31 Notes

  1. timeoflilacs said: Hahahha I’m with you all the way on this! <3 Banned Book Week <3
  2. originalityisnonexistent reblogged this from electradaddy
  3. asimpledad said: If you need a lawyer let me know. :-)
  4. themamalogues said: This is awesome! I now have a new title to add to Harry’s library.
  5. bumbleeebeees said: What a great book to explain different types of homes and families!!! I wonder if that was the goal of the author! Bravo, though. Hopefully it isn’t banned!
  6. headphonescinderella reblogged this from electradaddy
  7. electradaddy posted this

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