User:BenTelerski/sandbox

Article Evaluation: Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Evaluating Content

Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added? Identify content gaps.

What else could be improved?

Review the lead section. Does it follow Wikipedia’s guidelines to provide basic information and summarizes the entire article?

The content of the article seems to be relevant to the topic and the lead provides a a summary of the article. A potential content gap is the book's being banned in multiple cases. There is one sentence about the book's banning, when it could potentially be an entire section of the article. An area for improvement is the dependence on quotes. There are large sections of quoted material throughout the article which could definitely be paraphrased.

Evaluating Tone

Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

The article seems relatively neutral. The topic of the article is clearly biased toward one opinion, but the article explains the content of the book while also discussing its criticism.

Evaluating Sources

Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?

Where does the information come from?

Are these neutral sources?

If biased, is that bias noted? For example, does the writer use signal phrases to clearly identify the source of the information?

The links for the citations works and all citations look to be up to date. Two of the sources cited (citations 10 and 11) reference two articles from the same news magazine. Both articles are written by the same author and are clearly biased against the author of the book the article is about. These articles are used as sources in the section on criticism of the book, but these sources seem to be far too biased to be legitimate for this information.

Checking the Talk Page

Now take a look at how others are talking about this article on the talk page.

What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?

How is the article rated?

Is it a part of any WikiProjects?

How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

The article is rated Start-class and is part of WikiProjects on Education, Brazil / Arts / Education and science, and Books. Much of the talk page relates to the criticism of Sol Stern that is included. There is a lot of discussion about the need to include other sources of criticism instead of one very biased source.

Article Evaluation: The Handmaid's Tale

Evaluating Content

Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added? Identify content gaps.

What else could be improved?

Review the lead section. Does it follow Wikipedia’s guidelines to provide basic information and summarizes the entire article?

The article contains a lot of unnecessary content. There are very extensive descriptions of characters and the society of the novel. Neither of these are considered necessary in Wikipedia's guidelines on articles about books. This content could be an entirely separate article about the fictional society. The lead section also includes too much information, including a paragraph on awards and adaptations, which could be included in separate sections later in the article.

Evaluating Tone

Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

The article seems to have varying viewpoints, including views of both feminists praising the novel and conservative criticism of the novel's content.

Evaluating Sources

Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?

Where does the information come from?

Are these neutral sources?

If biased, is that bias noted? For example, does the writer use signal phrases to clearly identify the source of the information?

The novel itself is cited many times, along with some academic articles about the novel. There are also some reliable reviews of the novel. Many less reliable sources used as well, including pop culture and entertainment blogs.

Checking the Talk Page

Now take a look at how others are talking about this article on the talk page.

What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?

How is the article rated?

Is it a part of any WikiProjects?

How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

The article is rated C-Class in three WikiProjects, Novels, Philosophy, and Women Writers. The talk page is full of discussions about a variety of issues: the book's genre, the setting, and the relevance of information regarding the society the book is set in.

Structure of an Article of a Book

Lead section, background, summary, genre (or style), analysis, publication, reception

The article has sections for the lead, summary, genre, and reception, along with additional sections about characters and aspects of the society. It does not have sections on background, analysis, and publication. The sections on character and setting are not necessary to be included in the article. From reading the talk page, that information could be a separate article about the Republic of Gilead, which was removed from Wikipedia due to its lack of relevance and notability. The sections on critical and academic reception could be combined and shortened for a much better overview of reception of the novel.

Potential Additions from Rule and Merriman Articles

In the sections on critical and academic reception, there is little information about racial criticism of the book and potential critiques of American colonialism found within the book. Through not the most important information, these scholarly criticisms would be more relevant than much of the information included in the article.

Addition from Rule article: Parallels have been drawn between Gilead and American colonialism by treating handmaids as "invaded territory."

Addition from Merriman article: The Handmaid's Tale has been criticized for its appropriation of the slave experience in America to tell a story about white feminism.

Article Evaluation: Fun Home

The lead of the article includes an entire paragraph dedicated to the musical adaptation. This includes information about the writer and composer as well as awards it was nominated for and won. There is a separate article about the musical where this information would be more appropriate. I feel one or two sentences about the musical adaptation in the lead, rather than an entire paragraph.

Compared to the article on The Handmaid's Tale, the Fun Home article does not have a section with in-depth descriptions of all the characters. This information is included within the plot summary, as Wikipedia suggests. The article on Fun Home also has a much cleaner references section. It has more references, which hopefully leads to more accuracy with more sources being used. In The Handmaid's Tale, the article has a separate "Works Cited" section along with a references section. Wikipedia does not suggest works cited sections and it is confusing how the authors intended this to work in conjunction with the references section to attribute sources to certain information.

For potential additions, Fun Home does not have a background section. Information could be added about the book's conception and publication. If I were to make this change, I would reorganize information in the rest of the article to move information about the book's background to the background section. There is also no section on academic reception. The lead mentions the book's use in academia, but does not include information about it later in the article.

Potential Edit

General Observation: The article on Fun Home does not include a background section.

Concrete Point of Evaluation: The article has some information about the novel's publication under the "Publication and reception" section, but does not include much information regarding the novel's writing or where it stands within the author's work. In Wikipedia's criteria for articles on books, a "background" section is recommended for information on the book's inception and why the author wrote the book.

Actionable Item: Create a "background" section and find relevant information: either a source detailing why Bechdel wrote Fun Home or a personal interview with Bechdel.

Draft One of Contributions to Wikipedia Article on And Tango Makes Three

New paragraph in lead section: Scholars of children's literature and education believe And Tango Makes Three is a good way to introduce the idea of diverse families to children. The book does not take a stance on same-sex marriage, but rather the validity of same-sex families.

Response section, under book challenges: Parnell and Richardson noted the positive aspect of increased publicity leading to a larger audience of readers of And Tango Makes Three after it began to be challenged in schools and libraries.

Background section addition/rewrite: Prior to co-authoring And Tango Makes Three, Richardson, a psychiatrist, co-authored Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (but Were Afraid They'd Ask) in 2003 with Mark Schuster. After publishing this resource for parents to discuss sexuality with their children, readers requested a resource on "gay stuff" from Richardson. While reading an article in the New York Times about Roy and Silo's relationship, "Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name," Parnell and Richardson decided they wanted to tell the story in the form of a children's picture book. Through writing the book, they wanted to be able to introduce the idea of same-sex relationships to children in a way that would be easy for children to understand.

Genre section rewrite: And Tango Makes Three is a non-fiction children's picture book intended for children aged three to eight. And Tango Makes Three is similar in style to the other book published by Parnell and Richardson in 2010, Christian, the Hugging Lion. Both books are non-fiction children's picture books about real animals, with Christian, the Hugging Lion telling the story of Christian the lion.

In one challenge relating to the genre of the book, And Tango Makes Three was moved from the children's section to the adult non-fiction section in public libraries in Savannah and St. Joseph Missouri. This change was made after parents made complaints about the book's placement in the children's picture book section. The change was made to not "blindside" readers.

New section on publication history: And Tango Makes Three was published in 2005 by Simon and Schuster. Originally published in hardcover, the book was published in a tenth anniversary edition as a board book, ebook, and paperback with CD audiobook in 2015. The audiobook was narrated by actor Neil Patrick Harris.

Bibliography of Sources for Editing Article on And Tango Makes Three

Associated Press. "Penguin book moved from children's section." NBCNews.com, 6 March 2006. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11676978/ns/us_news-life/t/penguin-book-moved-childrens-section/#.XdwxBy2ZOu4

Campbell, Charlie. "Singapore Provokes Outrage by Pulping Kids' Books about Gay Families." Time.Com, 2014, pp. 1, http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=97059741&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Godbout, Neil. "Teen and Kids Books Smartly Portray Homosexuality: [Final Edition]." Prince George Citizen, 2007, pp. 13.Fro-13 / Front. ProQuest Central, https://search.proquest.com/docview/361836932?accountid=11091.

Harvey, Jennifer. "And Tango Makes Three: Introducing Family Diversity to Children." Children & Libraries, vol. 11, no. 3, 2013, pp. 27-33. ProQuest Central, https://search.proquest.com/docview/1494146936?accountid=11091.

Mickenberg, Julia L., and Philip Nel. "Radical Children's Literature Now!" Children's Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 4, 2011, pp. 445-473. Literature Online, https://search.proquest.com/docview/912869206?accountid=11091.

Miller, Alyson. "Unsuited to Age Group: The Scandals of Children's Literature." College Literature, vol. 41, no. 2, 2014, pp. 120-140. Literature Online, https://search.proquest.com/docview/1530407762?accountid=11091.

Shenitz, Bruce. "Penguin Papas." Out, vol. 13, no. 12, 2005, pp. 72-76, http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=qth&AN=17157196&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Success Stories: Libraries. vol. 58, American Library Association, Chicago, United States Chicago, Chicago, 2009.

Young, Craig A. "Creating a Controversial Picturebook: Discussions with the Creators of and Tango Makes Three." Journal of Children's Literature, vol. 37, no. 2, 2011, pp. 30-38, http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=eue&AN=527584458&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Young, Craig A. The Creation of Controversy: A Case Study of “And Tango Makes Three”. Edited by Laura B. Smolkin., University of Virginia, United States -- Virginia, 2010. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: Literature & Language, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: Social Sciences, https://search.proquest.com/docview/817401081?accountid=11091.

Final Draft of Contributions to And Tango Makes Three

new content in bold, strikethrough eliminated content

Lead - needs to be proofread and citation needed

And Tango Makes Three is a children's book written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole which was published in 2005. The book tells the story of two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who create a family together. With the help of the zookeeper, Mr. Gramsay, Roy and Silo are given an egg which they help hatch. The female chick, that completes their family, is consequently named "Tango" by the zookeepers. The book was based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins who fell in love in New York's Central Park Zoo.

And Tango Makes Three has been mentioned in numerous censorship and culture war debates on same-sex marriage, adoption, and homosexuality in animals. The ALA reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most frequently challenged book from 2006 to 2010, and the second most frequently challenged in 2009. However, while it is controversial, the book has been advocated for by scholars for its ability to introduce the idea of homosexuality easily in classroom and home settings. It has also won multiple awards, including the American Library Association, ALA, Notable Children's Book Nominee in 2006, the ASPCA Henry Bergh Book Award in 2005, and was named one of the Bank Street Best Books of the Year in 2006.

Scholars of children's literature and education believe And Tango Makes Three is a good way to introduce the idea of diverse families to children. The book does not take a stance on same-sex marriage, but rather the validity of same-sex families.

Background - new content needs to be integrated

The story was inspired by two male penguins, Roy and Silo, at the Central Park Zoo (add link). During mating season, each penguin began pairing with another, and Roy and Silo paired with each other. The plot of And Tango Makes Three parallels exactly the real life story of Roy and Silo. While reading an article in The New York Times about Roy and Silo's relationship, "Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name,"The story eventually reached the couple of Peter Parnell, a playwright and children's book author, and Justin Richardson, a psychiatrist focused focusing on the sexual development of children, decided they wanted to tell the story in the form of a children's picture book. Prior to co-authoring And Tango Makes Three, Richardson co-authored Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (but Were Afraid They'd Ask) in 2003 with Mark Schuster. After publishing this resource for parents to discuss sexuality with their children, readers requested a resource on "gay stuff" from Richardson. While reading about the two penguins in a story featured in "The New York Times" the story appeared to be perfect for a children's novel, according to Richardson. The couple, Parnell himself a writer, had interest in telling a story that had positive messaging surrounding homosexual couples. Furthermore, Parnell stating that the book is not necessarily about being homosexuality but "celebrating family coming in all forms", with Roy and Silo's homosexuality never fully addressed but rather mentioning that the two penguins were close "like family".

Finding that many parents had trouble introducing the concept of homosexuality to their children, the couple thought a book such as And Tango Makes Three"Tango" would make the conversation easier, and create a more inclusive environment for future generations. When actually working on the book itself, Richardson commented on how the subject material would be inviting to kids as stories about animals are seen as fun and inviting. Through writing the book, they wanted to be able to introduce the idea of same-sex relationships to children in a way that would be easy for children to understand.The authors wanted to capture this same feeling so as to make the message of the book feel more subtle and less forced. After the book was published, Richardson made appearances on the shows Good Morning America, CNN, and the Today Show.

Summary - needs to be proofread and citation added

The story opens in the Central Park Zoo, a place that houses families of all different kinds. Soon, it is the time of year when all the chinstrap penguins form couples couple up. All of the couples have one female penguin and one male penguin except for Roy and Silo, two male penguins who have fallen in love. They do everything together.: tThey sing, swim, and even build a nest so that they can start a family. The two penguins take turns sitting on a rock, thinking that it is an egg. The zookeeper, Mr. Gramsay, notices this and he brings them an extra egg from another penguin couple who would not be able to care for it. Roy and Silo sit on their egg and take care of it until it hatches. The zookeepers name the female chick Tango. When people come to visit the zoo and see Tango and her two fathers, and they cheer. People cheer when they come to visit the zoo and see Tango with her two fathers. The story ends by reiterating that Roy, Silo, and Tango are a happy family and that families can look different.(citation needed)

Genre

And Tango Makes Three is described as a book containing many illustrations with a non-heterosexual couple and content that is fit for a young audience. For example, the journal "Language Issues" identifies And Tango Makes Three as a "Same Sex Parent Picture Book." This genre can cause problems because may parents don't want children to read about non-heteronormative families without their control. Because And Tango Makes Three is based on a true story, there have been questions about the classification of the book as fiction or nonfiction.

The challenge in Savannah, Missouri, discussed in the Response section, was based on whether or not And Tango Makes Three is fiction or non-fiction.Fran Hawk, a former school librarian, stated that And Tango Makes Three was a nonfiction children's book.

And Tango Makes Three is a non-fiction children's picture book intended for children aged three to eight. And Tango Makes Three is similar in style to the other book published by Parnell and Richardson in 2010, Christian, the Hugging Lion. Both books are non-fiction children's picture books about real animals, with Christian, the Hugging Lion telling the story of Christian the lion.

In one challenge relating to the genre of the book, And Tango Makes Three was moved from the children's section to the adult non-fiction section in public libraries in Savannah and St. Joseph Missouri. This change was made after parents made complaints about the book's placement in the children's picture book section. The change was made to not "blindside" readers.

Analysis - needs to be proofread, citation needed added, and content eliminated

Themes

Family: The idea that every family looks different is a strong message in the book. It opens by showing all of the families in the zoo, all of which are different species. The authors show that families, while different, are all similar in one way: they are happy together. Roy and Silo work very hard to have a family because they know it will make them happy. No matter how a family looks or comes to be, it is a special thing. As long as the family is happy and healthy, it is natural, the book contends. A review of the book makes the claim that And Tango Makes Three is about "family love and nurturing of children."

Love: Roy and Silo fall in love and are happy together. They know that they would love their baby forever and they want to bring one into the world, which is why they sit on the rock, hoping that their love with produce a baby. The love they have for each other and for Tango is prominent in the book.

Acceptance: The end of the book shows the people who visit the zoo cheering for Roy, Silo, and Tango. The zoo accepts this family and celebrates their love, promoting the idea that the world ought to accept and celebrate families that look different. In a review by Kirkus reviews, Tango was described to have small details of happiness surrounding Roy and Silo in the illustrations of the book. These illustrations help show the acceptance of the non-heteronormative family structure. Another review of the children's book highlighted the theme of acceptance by saying that the book does not push an agenda of non-heteronormative families but instead represents the idea that not all families look the same.

Adoption: The book subtly advocates for adoption as it shows that it does not matter how a family is created or whether a child is biologically related to its parents. Roy and Silo are given an egg from another penguin couple and love it just the same. The egg, if it had not been given to them, would have died because Chinstrap Penguins are only able to care for one egg at a time. Tango was saved by her new family. It also explores the idea of surrogacy and how families come together in many different ways.

Tolerance: The support of the zookeeper and other members of the community around Roy and Silo exemplify the idea of tolerance that is shown throughout the book.

Benefits in the classroom

The primary argument for the inclusion of And Tango Makes Three and books like it, ones that strive to introduce children to the subject of homosexuality in an appropriate and accessible way, is to ensure that foster inclusivity for children in same sex families. Literary critics have explored the values of And Tango Makes Three mainly because of its use in classrooms. Jennifer Harvey, a Curriculum Librarian and Assistant Professor at Calvin T. Ryan Library, University of Nebraska at Kearney, wrote a literary criticism where she positioned that the book's diverse makeup and its subsequent lessons adds to its overall value. In the criticism, Harvey states that “since families vary, literature that explores types of families can improve the chances of the reader having a healthy response to non-normative family units, whether their own, or the family of an acquaintance” The inclusion of two male parents is reflective of a typical upbringing in American culture, and Harvey believes that addressing this is beneficial for a classroom setting. Indeed, she argues in favor of the book because it “can increase the likelihood of compassion for difference" Harvey notes that “Institute of UCLA’s School of Law has estimated that a quarter of all same-sex households include children under eighteen. This distribution suggests that children are likely to be aware of families where the parents are same sex. In the event that they do not encounter a family with same-sex parents, they will likely know children raised in families not made up of the child’s biological parents."". She contends that families are becoming more diverse and that books like And Tango Makes Three help introduce the subject to children while also fostering a more accepting generation.(add citation 26)

The benefit of easy introduction to diversity was not an isolated idea. Many pProfessionals have included And Tango Makes Three as an example of a book that can make introducing the topic of homosexuality easy for children to understand. Dr. Bre Evans-Santiago, who holds a PhD in LGBTQ issues, argued for the importance of LGBTQ friendly books. Arguing the idea that when such books are read, a sense of pride will emerge from children with non-traditional families, making them feel more accepted. One book that Evans-Santiago frequently cited was And Tango Makes Three. And Tango Makes Three was frequently cited by Evans-Santiago. She goes on to describe how young students in a classroom she studied enjoyed the book. The penguins had become beloved characters in the classroom, and the children always grew excited when Roy and Silo received their egg. She claimed that prejudice does not run in children, and if we teach children that something such as same-sex parenting exists, they are less likely to hold bias about the subject.

Janine Schall, an instructor of teacher education, and Gloria Kauffman, a fourth and fifth grade teacher, collaborated and conducted an experiment with thirty fourth and fifth graders and to explored how much children understand about homosexuality. They found that the majority of the children questioned understood the word “gay” as an insult mostly. They concluded that the introduction to a topic like homosexuality is critical in developing an inclusive environment and recommended including books like And Tango Makes Three Tango in the younger students’ curricula. Karla J Möller, associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign encapsulated the issue well when she said, “As librarians and educators, we have a responsibility to fulfill the promise of inclusion for all of our children and their families… To do so, teachers at all levels need the support of literature and literacy professionals in locating, accessing, and using books that feature gay and lesbian individuals and families.

Brianna Burke and Kristina Greenfield, professors at Iowa State University, found that And Tango Makes Three can hold a place of value in higher education as well. In their experiment, students read the book and While conducting an experiment with the students that required reading the book, the students were pushed to engage with what the message of the book was. They were asked questions such as what their idea was of family, and if that idea may be changed or enhanced from the book. When the students discovered the positive message of the book they then were taught about how and why the book has been so contested. This introduction to the children's book, and backlash it received, gives older students a sense of the issues of heteronormativity in the classroom, and how this discussion can help dismantle harmful ideas of heteronormativity. They also went on to say that students would be able to access an "other'd" perspective more easily through the nonthreatening tone of the picture book.

According to Julia Mickenberg and Philip Nel, professors and scholars of children's literature, the focus of the book is on the story of Roy and Silo and not on the underlying message of acceptance of same-sex relationships. By being a fun book for children, it is "threatening to wouldbe sensors."

Publication - new section added

And Tango Makes Three was published in 2005 by Simon and Schuster. Originally published in hardcover, the book was published in a tenth anniversary edition as a board book, ebook, and paperback with CD audiobook in 2015. The audiobook was narrated by actor Neil Patrick Harris.

Positive Reception of And Tango Makes Three

Reviewers say that the positive takeaway from And Tango Makes Three comes from the idea that it helps spark the conversation about “about same-sex partnerships in human society.” Deborah Stevenson from Johns Hopkins University Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books says that the book is valuable because it prompts discussion about the different types of families possible. Selena E. Van Horn, a doctoral candidate in literacy education at the University of Missouri published a piece titled "How Do You Have Two Moms?" Challenging Heteronormativity While Sharing LGBTQ-Inclusive Children's Literature" in the National Council of Teachers of English She suggested And Tango Makes Three as a book to be used to better introduce homosexual acceptance into the classroom. And Tango Makes Three was published in the UK as a result of a study done in the country titled No Outsiders by Dr. Elizabeth Atkinson and Dr. Renee DePalma.Moreover, an article written by Anna Paula Peixoto da Silva, recognized that the inclusion of diverse literature and toys that are reflective of both the male and the female gender as well as "various ages and ethnicities" in an elementary school curriculum, for students who have parents of the same gender would be effective. One of the age-appropriate books recommended for preschoolers was, indeed, And Tango Makes Three.

Book Challenges

Some parents have objected to their kids reading this book because it contains the topic of homosexuality.Homosexuality in animals is seen as controversial by some social conservatives who believe that illustrating animal homosexuality as normal suggests that homosexuality in humans is normal. Others believe that it has no implications and that it is nonsensical to equate animal behavior to that of humans. While many challenges were based on the claim that the use of homosexuality in animals made the book inappropriate, a random focus group found many adults saying that there was nothing explicitly inappropriate with Roy and Silo's relationship as it is portrayed in the book. When asked about the response the book received Parnell and Richardson commented on how the negative feedback disheartened them, but they chose to focus on the positive reception that the book was receiving instead.

The American Library Association (ALA) tracks challenges and censorship cases made against literature in public schools and libraries. It reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged book of 2006, of 2007, and of 2008. The book dropped to the second position in 2009 but returned to the top slot in 2010. The book has reappeared in the top ten on the list in 2012, 2014, and 2017.

Parnell and Richardson noted the positive aspect of increased publicity leading to a larger audience of readers of And Tango Makes Three after it began to be challenged in schools and libraries.

Cases resulting in retainment

Shiloh, Illinois

Some parents of students at Shiloh Elementary School requested in November 2006 for the school to require parental permission prior to checking the book out. One of the parents said: "Please let us decide when our kids are ready. Please let us parent our kids." However, Superintendent Filyaw who originally agreed with the parents, decided instead to keep the book available as it “means you represent different families in a society.”"

Loudoun County, Virginia

In 2008, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick removed the book from general circulation at public elementary school libraries on the basis of a parent's complaint. A parent complained that Tango "promoted a gay agenda" and was an "attack on families headed by heterosexuals." After the parent formally challenged the book, the principal of Sugarland Elementary School put in place an advisory committee of principals, librarians, teachers and parents to review the book. The group deemed it acceptable, and the principal concurred. Following this decision, the anonymous parent made an appeal. Another committee of administrators, librarians and parents reviewed the book, and that committee also recommended that it remain in the collection. Superintendent Hatrick decided to override the decision of the committees and the principal and made the book available only to teachers and parents.

Not long after his announcement, Hatrick received a copy of an inquiry from a School Board member about any legal implications involved in the decision regarding this book. This led Hatrick to review School Board Policy 5-7, which includes the “Procedure for Review of Challenged Materials,” and he found that the procedure was not adhered to. Subsequently, he returned the book into circulation, citing "significant procedural errors that he believes void the process followed in this matter."

Ankeny, Iowa

In November 2008, parents at a local elementary school asked that for the school to require parental permission prior to checking out the book. Next, they wrote a letter to the newspaper of the city of Ankeny to "warn" other parents about the book. However, in December 2008, the School Board of Ankeny voted 6-1 to keep the book in the libraries as well as to add on an additional process of book review for the school system. During the hearing, the school board's lawyer argued that a decision to remove the book from the shelves, if challenged, would likely not hold up in court.

Lodi, California

In April 2007, Stephanie Bramasco, the parent of a 17-month-old child in Lodi, California, requested that the book be removed from Lodi Public Libraries because she felt that the cover of the book, which shows two adult penguins cuddling with a baby penguin, is "deceptive because it does not indicate the adult penguins are a same-sex couple." The library board of directors voted (4-1) to retain the book on the shelves of their library.

Cases resulting in censorship

Savannah, Missouri

On February 13, 2006, parents objected to the book's placement at Rolling Hills Consolidated Library and requested a change of assignment within the library stacks. According to Aaron Bailey's article in the St. Joseph News-Press, parents objected to the book's placement in the fiction section, thus insisting that the book be placed in the non-fiction section instead. The book was transferred because "fewer people browse the children's nonfiction section" and "because it was based on the true story of two male penguins that hatched an egg in the New York City Zoo". The permanent move of the book was made on March 4, 2006.

Massachusetts

On March 23, 2007, Johanna Habeisen, a library media teacher at Woodland Elementary school received a threatening letter from her principal, Kimberley Saso, because she had the book in her library: "Hopefully you take this matter seriously and refrain from disseminating information that supports alternative styles of living..." Other than the principal and Superintendent Thomas Withal, who had been interrogated from the start, there had been no parental challenge.

Davis, Utah

In 2012, Parents raised concerns over a book that included a nontraditional family and argued that the book was "advocating homosexuality" which is against Utah state law. After this challenge, librarians working in the schools were prompted to name other books with similar content which could cause controversy.

Singapore

In July 2014, Singapore's National Library Board (NLB) announced it would destroy three children's books with pro-LGBT families themes as they saw the titles as being "against its 'pro-family' stance following complaints by a parent and its own internal review." And Tango Makes Three was one of the problematic books. And Tango Makes Three was eventually placed in the adult section instead of being removed, and the NLB announced that their book selection and review processes would be refined.

Hong Kong

In June 2018, the "anti-gay rights group", Family School Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance Concern Group, pressed the government against And Tango Makes Three.Access to the book was revoked from the public along with other books which included similar themes. This silence from the government on why the book was removed has led to the belief that the book was removed because of pressure from activist groups.

National Book Awards

• American Library Association Notable Children's Book - 2006: "Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books, recordings, and videos."
• ASPCA's Henry Bergh Award - 2005
• Gustavus Myer Outstanding Book Award- 2006: The Myers Center reviews and identifies outstanding books written about “Discrimination and Bigotry” each year, in order to find ways to develop equitable future communities and societies. The winners of the Gustavus Myers Award announced on Human Rights Day, December 10, each year.
• Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Book of the Year
• Bank Street Best Book of the Year
• Cooperative Children's Book Council Choice, and CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book

Nominations

• Lambda Literary Award finalist

• Sheffield Children's Book Award - shortlisted - 2008