The Animal Family
 original cover | |
| Author | Randall Jarrell |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Maurice Sendak |
| Cover artist | Maurice Sendak |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Genre | children's literature |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
Publication date | 1965 |
| Pages | 180 |
| ISBN | 0-06-205904-1 |
| OCLC | 180013285 |
The Animal Family is a 1965 children's novel by American poet and critic Randall Jarrell and illustrated by noted children's book illustrator Maurice Sendak. It is a 1966 Newbery Honor book and has a significant following among adult readers.
Plot summary
A man, a mermaid, a boy, a bear and a lynx - all orphans - find a home together in a log cabin in the woods by the sea. Through their shared experiences and self-created myth of their own origins, they create their own unique identities.
It's also about what it means to be a family.