Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog

by Eileen Beha, Kimberly Farr (Narrator)

5 Hours and 35 Minutes

Tango is used to the good life. He has a silver heart charm for his dog collar, a luxurious doggy bed-even specially made booties for taking walks in Central Park. But disaster strikes when Tango's owners sail into stormy waters off the coast of Nova Scotia and the little Yorkie is swept overboard. Washed ashore on Prince Edward Island, Tango waits for his owners to come for him. As days turn into weeks, Tango despairs of ever getting back to Manhattan-unless he does something about it himself. Carrying out his plan, Tango finds his path intertwining with a mysterious island fox on the last great journey of his life, a three-legged cat fallen on hard times, a brokenhearted widow, and a runaway girl searching for a home of her own. Will the little dog who is used to the good life ever find a place that his heart calls home?

Genres: Middle Grade, Dogs, Fiction, Animals, Audiobook, Childrens, Adventure

Audio CD

First published April 27, 2009

About the author

Eileen Beha is the author of Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog (Bloomsbury, 2009), which was inspired by her love of animals and summers on Prince Edward Island. A former middle school principal, Eileen received an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University, also studying with Kate DiCamillo and Jane Resh Thomas. She lives in Minneapolis and Miami with her husband and their two dogs, Tango and Louise.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with a nice ending. There are some loose ends that aren't answered in the epilogue and I have questions about that. I loved every second of this book. I would recommend this to everyone like I do every book.

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great, kinda sad, book. I thought the part where Tango got seperated from his mother was really sad. I thought the part where he flew off of Marcellina's and Diego's boat and got caught in the lobster net and rescued by Augusta was really sad. The part where Tango met Burea and Mckenna, I thought that lightened his spirits. But, the part where Tango went in to fight Malachi, I thought he was gonna die for sure. The part where Tango had his identification tag and Augusta saw it, I began to cry because I felt bad because Augusta and Mckenna and Burea grew attached to him. And the part where Tango looked into the candles flame and saw Marcellina and Diego with other dogs to replace Tango made me feel sad for him and it made me feel happy because he went out and buried his identification tag so they couldn't return him. I thought the end was really sweet because Augusta adopted Mckenna and they raised Tango and Tango and Mckenna and Nigel, and Burea findly found a place they could call home.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tango led a charmed life with his Manhattan socialite owner, Marcellina, enjoying every luxury imaginable, from a silver collar to a pearl-studded leash. But when the little Yorkshire terrier is washed overboard during a yachting trip, he eventually finds himself on Canada's Prince Edward Island, where a new life awaits him. Taken in by the widowed Augusta - known to the locals as Miss Gustie - Tango is determined to return to his old life, but unsure of how to do so. Meanwhile, there are other newcomers in the village of Victoria-by-the-Sea, from orphaned twelve-year-old McKenna Skye, on the run from an abusive foster-care home, to the mysterious Beau Fox, an elderly vulpine figure who has watched over McKenna since she was an infant. Added to the mix are Nigel the three-legged cat, a friendless feline who has taken up with a sinister gang of cats living in an abandoned house, and Malachi the mad rat, driven insane by human experimentation, and darkly plotting his revenge against the world. All their stories collide, as Tango embarks on a journey of discovery, in which he learns just where he belongs...

Published in 2009, Tango is author Eileen Beha's debut novel for children. It offers a fairly engaging tale, one populated by a number of interesting characters, both animal and human. That said, I sometimes felt that not all of the characters' stories worked well together, and that the narrative focus was too divided. As someone with an interest in the figure of the fox in children's literature - I tracked down a copy of the book specifically because it contained the character of Beau Fox - it probably isn't surprising that I enjoyed the story of Beau's faithful devotion to McKenna the best, out of all the various narrative strands in the book. I also appreciated the guidance Beau offered to his canine cousin, Tango, and thought that these two story strands - Tango's involuntary adoption by Miss Gustie, and McKenna's search for a true home - worked together very well, both thematically and structurally. The story strands involving Nigel and the other cats who live in Pitiful Place, and Malachi the deranged rat, on the other hand, seemed unnecessary, and sometimes even a little distasteful. Beha didn't really devote enough time to fully exploring the issues raised by Nigel's character flaws - he has a conscience, but has trouble following it - or by the implicit human betrayal of animalkind that created a place such as Pitiful Place, and its residents. Nigel himself reflects, at one point, that no one took him in - a cat injured by human traps - when he needed help, but Beha never raises the matter again. By the same token, Malachi is meant to be the sole survivor of some kind of experiment (as well as a later purge of the rodents taken in by Old Ada Phillips), but the significance of this fact (and its potential power as a means of provoking reflection) is mostly lost, given the relatively little attention the character is given, in the narrative. Never fully explored, these characters and their stories feel like nothing so much as an intrusion upon the 'real' tale of Tango, Miss Gustie, McKenna and Beau. Still, despite these flaws, I did enjoy the book, both as an animal story and as an orphan tale. The latter struck me as particularly appropriate, given that Prince Edward Island's most famous daughter, the author L.M. Montgomery, was renowned for her tales of orphans finding a home...

[Dayza Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought it was a very good book. it was about well let me just go through it.it was a litter of yorkie puppies born fore of them three girls and one boy. the puppies had golden and black fur lethery black noses. there eyes where as dark as pich black darkness. they wher one of sadies finest litters sadie is the moms name. they wher taken away to be sold the girls where all sold on the frist day. but the next morning the boy was sold. the woman was named marcellena and the husbans name was diego. they came in and marcellena fell in love with him so diego had said yes he paid the store owner and left then they got him a little coler and heart shaped idenfacation tag they decided his name was tango. then a few weeks later they went on a boat to a far away place they got caut in a storm and tango fell over bourd and some how got tangled up in a lobster trap and when fisher men pulled him out of the sea they thought he was a rat. when they relized it was a dog a lady named agusta said i will take the dog in and care for him and nures him back to helth then tango did not know his coller was gone. mikenna found a silver chain in the sand and nigle the cat found the heart. in the end there was soppose to be a fight but in the middle of it the place started to flud the rat got away that tango was to fight and tango got his heart back and then he gave it to mikenna and she showed agusta and she said i know the right thing to do and before morning tango took the heart and burried it in th back yard becuse he wanted to stay there with agusta and he did and lived hapliey.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute enough, but is it really animal literature when your animals talk and behave exactly like humans in little fur suits?

[milana waller · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only good thing about this book is that it wasn’t as bad as the bronze bow.

[Kati Beadle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read TANGO by Eileen Beha. This is a story about a yorkie puppy who got adopted by a rich couple and had lots of charms on his silver and dimond collar. His owners got married and bought a boat to take on their honeymoon. They didn't know it was going to storm. Tango the dog went over board and was washed up onto the shore of some island. It wasn't deserted though it was like a small independent town. A girl found him and saved him and he now lived with a girl named McKenna. McKenna took care of Tango and made him her own. Her family owned a candle shop called Enchanted Candles and she worked there. Tango was mostly there, but sometimes he would wander off and get into trouble. He wasn't the smartest when it came to island smarts, though.
He climed a light tower and found a big scary rat. His friends told him to stay away from the rat and the tower, but as you could have suspected, he didn't listen. He went back to the tower and was challenged. He was challenged to to a fight. The fight was him vs. the rat and it was a fight to the death. If he didn't show up to it the rats said they would her McKenna. He wouldn't let that happen. He went and he fought the rat, but he didn't win. Though in my opinion neither did the rat. Now Tango lay there in pain with no one there to help him.
His friends came and got him and dragged him to McKenna and McKenna was terrified. She had thought that the rodents who were Tango's friends had hurt Tango. She shood them away and got Tango. McKenna started crying because she thought Tango had died. Tango lifted his head and she was thrilled but still sad because he was severely injured. She took him to the island vet and the vet said it didn't look good. McKenna was sad, but the vet said he would do the best he could to save him. He saved Tango and instaid to getting back to his original owner, Marcellina, whom he loved, he stayed ont the island with McKenna and his new friends, who he loved even more.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tango is a Yorkshire Terrier who is used to the good life: doggy massages, fancy grooming, an expensive silver collar and charm, special shoes for his daily walks, and being shown off at luxurious parties. Tango has it made…until his owners take him sailing. A fierce storm strikes, and Tango goes overboard. After a while at sea, Tango, now freezing, starving, and sick, washes up on Prince Edward Island, a long way from his home in New York City. No one knows his name or where he’s from. They don’t even know if he’ll survive, but Tango is determined to make it back to the home he once knew.

McKenna Skye is a girl without a home. She lives in a shed behind her uncle’s house, but she knows that even that small comfort is temporary. She needs to save up enough money to get to Toronto, where her favorite foster mother now lives. But how? With some much-needed help, McKenna begins to make and sell enchanted candles, and the money starts coming in. Will McKenna make enough to get her where she wants to go? Or will she finally find a home that she’s always needed.

Augusta Smith is a retired schoolteacher who is set in her ways, but fate has brought two beings into her life that will force her to change a bit. A little dog who is fighting for survival and a girl who has never had a true home will make Augusta—or Miss Gustie, as everyone knows her—rethink her life. Maybe she does have room in her life for a little dog and a runaway girl. But can she hold on to these two souls who seem so determined to go on their ways. Can Miss Gustie show them that she needs them as much as they need her?

Read Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog by Eileen Beha to learn how one small dog can change the world around him. Will he make it back home to New York, or will he find that a new home was waiting for him all along?

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no other word to describe this book except for... ENCHANTING! 'Tango' is the cutest dog's tale (pun intended) that I've read in a looooong time. Maybe since 'Because of Winn-Dixie'.

Once you start reading 'Tango' you may think you're just reading a sugary little story about a Yorkshire Terrier puppy... but you're not. Before you know it, you're intertwined in this dog's life, and you find yourself in a dramatic, sweeping account of love, family, and how one finds true happiness in life.

Tango, the little Yorkie who loves his ritzy New York owner, Marcellina, gets shipwrecked, alone, and on the doorstep of death. The villagers in Victoria-by-the-Sea find him and take great interest in the little dog that came from the sea. As Tango heals, his longing for the beloved Marcellina increases, although he has no means of getting to her.

The story is told sometimes by the people, and sometimes from the island animals' point of view. Much drama can take place in a little village concerning a little brown dog with a stump for a tail.

There were several clues spread throughout the book that the author, Eileen Beha, is a true L.M. Montgomery fan. While reading about the Pitiful Place, I always could only imagine the same scenes I created in my mind long ago while reading about the Disappointed House in 'Emily of New Moon'.

So many elements and characters in the plot come together seamlessly in the story, forming the full grand scheme. I found myself so excited to learn how each character's part of the story would unfold in Victoria-by-the-Sea (I fell in love with the entire village). That's how it is when an author writes about Prince Edward Island... an orphan or two... and spices it with enchantment.

[Connor Stubbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is Tango and it is an action-adventure. The author is Eileen Beha. This book is the book for you if you like action. It is with animals and they talk to each other. So keep reading and see what adventures are going to happen to Tango.
There is this dog named Tango. And these people see him caught in a lobster trap. Tango has his eye lids frozen shut because of the cold water he was in. Then he feels this nice warm hand handle him and he thinks it is his owner. But when he gets to her house, it is not his owner. It is a different girl who took him to her house. He was in the water because he was on a boat with his family. There was a storm that hit the boat and he fell into the water. That is how he got trapped into the lobster trap. But Tango still wants to find his real family so he looks for them.
My favorite part is when a family comes and gets him. They take him home and they are so nice to him. He loves his new family but he has to try and find his other family. So he goes around asking animals if they have seen his owners. But no one knows where they are. So he keeps on looking.
But sooner he just gives up because he knows that they aren’t going to look for him anymore. But he loves his mistress that found him when he was stuck in the lobster trap. So he doesn’t care if his family isn’t going to look for him anymore because he loves his family now.
If you like books that have action and if you like books with dogs in it, you would really love this book. I really enjoyed this book. Anyone can like this book, even boys and girls. So you can pick this book up in the library or you can borrow this book from me.
By: Connor Stubbe

[Michelle Isenhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog is a cute story that will appeal to dog lovers. Tango is a Yorkshire terrier accustomed to the good life. But when he’s swept off his yacht and washed ashore on Prince Edward Island, he finds himself in need of a friend. Fortunately, he finds lots of them. Miss Gustie, with her gruff ways, young McKenna, in need of a family, and Beau, the aging fox. But not all residents of the island are friendly. The gang of cats who live in the Pitiful Place are up to no good, and Tango better watch his step. In his quest to get home, Tango find he has everything he desires right on the island.

While I appreciated the animal personalities, the writing didn’t grab me. In fact, I found it disjoined, with too many perspectives coming at me at once. It took me most of the book to sort them all out and get a feel for who they all were. Often I was surprised by some bit of information that hadn’t been built up to very well, something narrated in rather abruptly. And I felt the dialogue was forced, even stagnant in places. I just wasn’t impressed with the story’s flow.

A child, I think, won’t notice these complaints. They’ll see lots of animals, good guys vs. the bad, they’ll sympathize with poor Nigel, the three-legged cat who doesn’t fit on either side, and they’ll cheer for Tango and McKenna in their quests for a home. And they’ll love the feel-good ending. Though I didn’t love it, I think kids will.

[Maydi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Tango by Eileen Beha. Tango is a Yorkshire terrier puppy that got took away from his family. Tango never got to know what his mother was going to name him because when Tango’s mom was about to say his name her owner snatched him and his sisters away to be sold. If you want to know how Tango got his name? Read the book. Do you think Tango will ever see his mother again?

In the book Tango by Eileen Beha Tango is a playful puppy. Like when he was still in the pet shop and it looked like he as dancing. The book is a little unrealistic like when Tango was talking to the three legged cat. I didn’t like the book in the middle because it was slow. In the book they some words that are complex words, for me it is a good thing because then I could challenge myself.


Also, in the book there are no imagery, I think it is a good thing then you could a movie in your mind.

I recommend this book to people who love sad stories. Also, I recommend this book to people who like puppies.

[Elly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tango
By Eileen Beha
242 Pages

This book is about a yorkie dog who was born on a small farm. The Farmer then sold the dogs to a pet store in Manhatten. A rich couple bought him and named him Tango. When they were on a sailboat in the rough seas Tango gets lost in the ocean. When he washes ashore the island of Victoria by the sea stuck in a lobster trap, a young lady takes him under her wing. She then cares for him and loves him for a long time. When Tango finds that his identification tag is in the mouth of and old 3 legged cat, Nigel Stump, he NEEDS it back. What will he do to get back the charm and get home?

I gave this book 5 stars because I believe it was very action packed and exciting. I had read part of this book a little while ago and I just had to finish it. It was so good! I really wanted to know what other crazy adventures Tango would have to go through to get home. I wanted to know if he would get home. This truly was an amazing book and worth the time to read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story there are about five main characters that are almost always mentioned. Their names are Tango(lost dog), McKenna(orphan child), Nigel(cat), Beau(old fox), and Augusta(old woman). Tango wants to get back to New York, where he came from before falling off the boat into the water on a stormy night. He does not know how to get back without his identification tag that he lost when he first washed up on the island. He goes on trying to find it and meets new people, like Augusta who nursed him back to health when he washed up on shore, Beau, and Mckenna. After risking his life to get the chain he realizes that his real home is with someone who really loves and needs him. I really loved this book because it had a good message in it and it was one of those books where sometimes you just want to keep reading and can't stop. I would recommend this book to animal lovers because it is mostly about Tango and how he helps Augusta and learns who and what is more valuable to him. Overall it was an amazing book that taught a great lesson.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog was a middle of the road story at best. Nothing truly great about it, nothing truly awful either. Told from the point of view of several animals on an island in the northern Atlantic, I'd hoped to at least appreciate a new take on a foster/adoption tale, since the human protagonist is a foster child. The writing moved slowly and finishing the book seemed a laborious task. Maybe it comes down to the fact that I have never been a big fan of stories with animals as the main character, even as a kid. Take that into account when considering my review, I guess. I also felt the plot was a bit too predictable, despite all of it's seeming complexity of sentence length and vocabulary. The book was a free gift from Scholastic Book orders, and -- well -- it felt like it.

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read Tango The Tale Of An Island Dog. Please don't. It's not as bad as dog lost, but it still isn't worth reading. A dog gets lost (as usual), and his owners don't try to look for him. They think he's dead. Tango then finds a nice family, but has problems with the world. I can't remember if he gets found or not (I think he does) by his real owners, but it isn't good. The title fits it a bit. But at the beginning, a girl is friends with a fox, and it has NOTHING to do with Tango. I feel like it is just a waste of time to read, just like Dog Lost... and if you have nothing to read, find something better then this.
- Brianna @ The Age of 10 (or 11 I'm not... quite... sure)

[Madison Wamboldt]

Tango by Eileen Beha is about a Yorkshire terrier named Tango. He lives in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. I love this book so much because all my life I have always wanted a Yorkshire terrier and this book is about one finding its way, figuring out how to get through the bumps in the road.

I like this book because it is in the perspective of how dogs would react or talk, if they could and he gets stuck in a fish net and he was thinking very hard on how he was going to get him self out and he used his little doggy brain.


You'll have to read the book to find out. I would recommend this book to anyone it's not too girly or to boyish at all and this book is very interesting.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure some people would find this dog story adorable, but to me it was somewhat tedious. I'm not a big fan of stories where animals of various species talk to each other. I did find the story well-written and interestingly detailed: Tango's birth, his family, being sold to a rich Manhattan lady, a life of luxury, being lost off the boat in a storm, and his new island life, new friends and a new owner. Characters were vivid, rich and well-developed. I even found myself pitying Tango at his longing for his old life. Younger fans of classic animal stories should love this story.

[Alejandro OC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beautiful! I'm not used to read this kind of books, but I have to say I really loved this one. I think some of the cat gang parts were funny. Also, I got really sad because Tango really wanted to return home, but Augusta and McKenna loved him. Finally he realized that in the island, there were lots of people that loved him, like Beau and the other animals.

The ending cheered me up, because at the end, Nigel, Tango, McKenna, and Augusta sticked together and made a family. It is a great book, indeed. Loved it!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battle of the Books 2012.
I usually steer away from animal stories, especially ones that sound sad when you read the book jacket. This book, however, skips over scary parts and stays with the story of overcoming. Every character in this book has a sad past, but each one is on a journey. I wish that there was a bit more development of the characters, but it was pretty well done for a children's book.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tango is a decent 'dog' book (of which I'm generally not a big fan). The book reads quickly, with enough action added to the emotional development of the characters (both human and animal) that it keeps moving. I'm having a hard time finding much to say about the book. The growth of Tango is fairly cliche, but many of the other characters really stand out as complete and interesting. Not my favorite of this year's books, but one that could satisfy a wide range of kids.

[Me73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is extremely unique. It is very highly recommended for dog lovers. Many unique books usually I don't like or I think it's OK or I just plain like it. But this is one of the best books EVER WRITTEN. It's about Tango, a yorkie who got washed up onto the shores of Prince Edward Island. He befriends a fox, a woman and a girl and fights to get back home to his real owner Marcelina. I won't say more. Get it and read it.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tango is Yorkshire Terrier who is living the good life in Manhattan until he is lost at sea and washes up on Prince Edward Island. He wants desperately to find his way back to his old life. This book has two stories, Tango's relationship to the people who take him in and then with the other animals on the island. There is the wise old fox and a group of mean cats. These two stories come together to make Tango realize how much he is needed on the island. A sweet dog story.

[SSB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book about 4 years ago, and I loved it! Who doesn't enjoy a story about a cute dog? Back then, I thought it was high-level reading (I was 9) and complex. Which it wasn't...
Looking back, "Tango" was a simple story that was meant for dog-lovers, and if you are a dog-lover (like myself) you will love this easily readable story. The characters aren't complex nor is there much drama, but the book is a quick-read and will leave you smiling.
Enjoy! :D

[Corky · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK so I know this title was recommended for ages 7-11 but it had a picture of the cutest Yorkie on the front that it was calling my name!
What a cute story of a very brave pup named Tango who found his true home.

Maya took this right out of my hands when I was done with it! i add her opinion when she has finished with it!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a new goal to read all of the Sasquatch award nominees for 2012. These are all books I sell at the Book Fair I help run at my daughter's school, and the have a library goal for the kids to read at least 3 of these books so they can vote online for their favorites. It is a lot of fun to discuss these books and then try to figure out who we may vote for.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tango is a Yorkshire Terrier who falls off of a pleasure boat during a storm and is washed ashore miles away from home. Will he ever make it back to Manhattan or will he found a new home in Canada? A foster girl, a retired teacher and a wise fox befriend Tango. A nice story for kids who want to read about a dog -- and it has a satisfying ending.

[Beanbun · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a wonderful book.
I don't want to spoil the book, but it was a Dog living the exotic life in New York. He has a lovely life until his family goes on a trip on the husband's new boat. Then, they go into a storm. Tango, the dog goes overboard. Will he live?
This is a must read book.
It's perfect for all ages.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story about Tango who is adopted by a rich woman and her fiance. He leads a very pampered life until a storm develops on their sailboat and Tango is tossed overboard. He makes new friends on a Nova Scotia island, including both human and other animals and must choose between the old and the new life.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite character in this story is McKenna Skye, a 12-year old girl who's confidence and visions I admire. I found this to be an interesting adventure and survival story. Some chapters I absolutely loved and others I was not as fond of. The talking animals I found somewhat corny.