And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole, has topped the Banned Book list since 2006, according to the American Library Association. It is the 4th highest banned book of the decade (ALA); Harry Potter, Alice, and The Chocolate War take spots 1, 2, and 3.
The children's book tells the story of two penguins, Roy and Silo, whom live in Central Park Zoo. Roy and Silo are both males, which leaves them unable to have children of their own. Their zookeeper finds an egg and wants Roy and Silo to take care of it, so he places it in their nest. Through the egg's development, Roy and Silo take care of the egg together- making sure it keeps warm until it's ready to hatch. Once the egg hatches, a baby penguin is born. Roy and Silo decide to name him Tango.
Seems rather harmless, right? A children's book about penguins... What's so wrong there? Well, according to the American Library Association, the top cited reasons for banning And Tango Makes Three are: "homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group." Various school districts across the country have found the book's message to be alarming; a school district in Utah voted to keep the book off its shelves stating, "It didn't align with district curriculum standards."
So, what do you think? Does And Tango Makes Three promote homosexuality? Does it inflict upon religious views in school districts or communities?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/and-tango-makes-three
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