The Animal Family is a 1965 children's novel

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 by American poet and critic Randall Jarrell

Randall Jarrell

Randall Jarrell was an American poet, literary critic, children's author, essayist, and novelist. He was the 11th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a role which now holds the title of US Poet Laureate.-Life:Jarrell was a native of Nashville, Tennessee...

, illustrated by noted children's book illustrator Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak

Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.-Early life:...

. It is a 1966 Newbery Honor book and has a significant following among adult readers.

Plot summary

A man, a boy, a mermaid, a lynx and a bear - 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.