Module 15: And Tango Makes Three

Book Summary:

Roy and Silo aren’t like other penguins. Instead of finding a nice female penguin to create a penguin family, they are happy with each other’s company. The only problem is they are unable to lay their own egg to raise a penguin chick. When an egg needs help to survive, the zookeeper gives it to Roy and Silo to hatch and raise. They take great care of their egg, and soon they have their own chick to feed and teach penguin ways. That chick is named Tango, and together, they all make a family.

APA Reference of Book:

Richardson, J. & Cole, H. (2005). And Tango makes three. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

This was a cute story about two animals who didn’t quite fit the expected mold. It is interesting that there are so many objections to this book as the story it tells really happened. I’m sure there was more to the real life story, but the way it was presented in this book is easy to read and for children to understand how things happened.

Tango’s story is short and straight-forward. Children will enjoy reading about how her egg was saved and hatched by two penguins who were unable to lay their own egg.

Professional Review:

Roy and Silo were "a little bit different" from the other male penguins: instead of noticing females, they noticed each other. Thus penguin chick Tango, hatched from a fertilized egg given to the pining, bewildered pair, came to be "the only penguin in the Central Park Zoo with two daddies." As told by Richardson and Parnell (a psychiatrist and playwright), this true story remains firmly within the bounds of the zoo's polar environment, as do Cole's expressive but still realistic watercolors (a far cry from his effete caricatures in Harvey Fierstein's The Sissy Duckling0 , 2002). Emphasizing the penguins' naturally ridiculous physiques while gently acknowledging their situation, Cole's pictures complement the perfectly cadenced text--showing, for example, the bewildered pair craning their necks toward a nest that was "nice, but a little empty." Indeed, intrusions from the zookeeper, who remarks that the nuzzling males "must be in love," strike the narrative's only false note. Further facts about the episode conclude, but it's naive to expect this will be read only as a zoo anecdote. However, those who share this with children will find themselves returning to it again and again--not for the entree it might offer to matters of human sexuality, but for the two irresistible birds at its center and for the celebration of patient, loving fathers who "knew just what to do."

Mattson, Jennifer (2005, May 15). And Tango makes three [Review of the book And Tango makes three by Justin Richardson and Henry Cole]. Booklist, 101(18), 1657. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/170731/searches/170731

Library Uses

Great for use when presenting the differences between different types of families. Also could be used for a brief introduction to penguins and how they interact and raise their young.

Module 14: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems

Book Summary:

A new form of poetry, reverse poems are read once forward and then again backward to create two separate poems using the exact same words. These particular reversos are based on well-known fairy tales. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and more all find themselves written with slightly new twists. Singer uses her unique voice to tell these tales in her own way. By changing only the punctuation and emphasis, the exact same words read in reverse order take on a completely new meaning.

APA Reference of Book:

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror, mirror. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books.

Impressions:

I’m not a big fan of poetry. I feel that I have to try too hard to understand what the author is trying to say to really enjoy it. However, I really find this type of poem entertaining. Writers who are able to pen these poems are really thinking about every word they use and the basic structure of their writing. Singer is a great poet for this. I was able to meet Singer this summer, and hearing her read her own poetry brought it to life for me.

Along with enjoying this poetry structure, I also liked the choice of subject for the book. I love fairy tales. Most people are extremely familiar with them. Being able to read a short insight into the fairy tale and see it from two different points of few made this book fun to read. I gave it to my daughter, and she also enjoyed reading the different poems about her favorite stories.

Professional Review:

*Starred Review* This ingenious book of reversos, or poems which have one meaning when read down the page and perhaps an altogether different meaning when read up the page, toys with and reinvents oh-so-familiar stories and characters, from Cinderella to the Ugly Duckling. The five opening lines of the Goldilocks reverso read: “Asleep in cub’s bed / Blonde / startled by / Bears, / the headline read.” Running down the page side-by-side with this poem is a second, which ends with: “Next day / the headline read: / Bears startled / by blonde / asleep in cub’s bed.” The 14 pairs of poems—easily distinguished by different fonts and background colors—allow changes only in punctuation, capitalization, and line breaks, as Singer explains in an author’s note about her invented poetic form. “It is a form that is both challenging and fun—rather like creating and solving a puzzle.” Singer also issues an invitation for readers to try to write their own reversos on any topic. Matching the cleverness of the text, Masse’s deep-hued paintings create split images that reflect the twisted meaning of the irreverently witty poems and brilliantly employ artistic elements of form and shape—Cinderella’s clock on one side morphs to the moon on the other. A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast. Grades 2-5.

Austin, P. (2010, January 1). Mirror mirror: A book of reversible verse [Review of the book Mirror mirror: A book of reverse poems by Marilyn Singer]. Booklist, 106(9/10), 81. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Book-Reverso-Poems/dp/0525479015/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449115906&sr=8-3&keywords=mirror+mirror

Library Uses:

This book is a great example of a unique style of poetry and would be excellent to add to a unit on poetry. Individual poems or sections of the poems could be used to create a bulletin board display for different forms of poetry. Perfect for celebrating Poetry Month in April.

Module 13: The Plain Janes

Book Summary:

Jane survived a horrific terrorist bombing only to have her parents decide to move the family out of the city into a smaller town for safety. Now Jane is the new girl in school, and she is determined to take this chance to reinvent herself. She cuts and dyes her hair to create a new physical image, but she also looks to make new friends with those who are different from her usual crowd.

On her search for her new friends, she finds three other girls, Jane, Jayne, and Polly Jane. Together they work to bring art and flair to the neighborhood. Their group, acting as P.L.A.I.N – People Loving Art in Neighborhoods, secretly create artistic expressions throughout their small town. Officials are outraged at what they perceive to be acts of vandalism, and measures are taken to stop the perpetrators. 

Will the PLAIN Janes be able to convince them of the value of their creations?

APA Reference of Book:

Castellucci, C. (2007). The plain Janes. New York, NY: DC Comics.

Impressions:

I’m not usually a big fan of graphic novels as I would rather get my stories through words rather than pictures, but the use of this format for this book worked perfectly. The different acts the group commit throughout the story are shown through images rather than descriptions, keeping the writing to a minimum for explanations. This is one of the few graphic novels that I have actually enjoyed reading and looking at the illustrations to get the complete story. I usually feel slowed down by illustrations, but this one worked for me as a reader.

I thought it was an interesting choice to use a terrorist bombing as the instigator for the family’s move. There could have been so many other reasons used, and this particular catalyst is becoming a real-life threat to more and more people around the world. This brought the danger to light without focusing on it overly much as a key part of the story.

Professional Review:

For the first book in a new series aimed at teenage girls, DC comics recruited novelist Castellucci (Boy Proof, 2004, and The Queen of Cool, 2005) to write this story about outsiders who come together, calling up themes from the author's popular YA novels. Relocated to suburbia after a brush with disaster in the big city (and fueled by an urge not to be terrified of the world as a result), Jane rallies a small group of outcasts into a team of "art terrorists, "shaking the town from its conservative complacency by putting bubbles in the city fountain and wrapping objects on the street as Christmas packages. Their activities end up rallying the local teenagers to their cause and working the adults into a dither. The book has its share of stereotypes--the science geek, the psychotically overprotective mother, the irrepressible gay teen--but this is thought-provoking stuff. The art, inspired by Dan Clowes' work, is absolutely engaging. Packaged like manga, this is a fresh, exciting use of the graphic-novel format.

Karp, J. (2007, March 15).The plain Janes [Review of the book The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci]. Booklist, 103(14), 56. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/51718/searches/51718

Library Uses:

This would be great for book talks focusing on terrorism and how to bring light into an otherwise dark and scary situation. Jane is able to move forward with her life and do great things, so this is a great example for teens who may go through similar situations or who may be scared by possibilities of danger.