The Animal Family
The Animal Family is a children's novel by the poet Randall Jarrell, first published by Pantheon Books in New York in 1965 with decorations by Maurice Sendak. A man living alone by the sea gathers a family of a mermaid, a bear, a lynx and a boy. It was a 1966 Newbery Honor book.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Pantheon Books, 1965
- First published
- Pantheon Books, New York, 1965
- First UK edition
- Hart-Davis, 1967
The first edition of The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell was published in New York by Pantheon Books in 1965. We track 2 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
Later and other editions
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
In print
- Editions recorded
- 18 on Open Library, 16 in English
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Randall Jarrell
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How to Identify a First Edition
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Animal Family?
The first edition of The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell was published in New York by Pantheon Books in 1965.
How many editions of The Animal Family are there?
We track 2 editions of The Animal Family, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- The animal family (Pantheon Books, 1965), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
- The animal family (Hart-Davis, London, 1967), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
- The Animal Family, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 10 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.