The Animal Family
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-made myths of their own origins, they create their own unique family. Adaptation. In 2017, Toei Animation launched a crowdfunding campaign  under Tomoyasu Murata to create a stop motion animated film adaptation of the story, using its Japanese title: "The Story of the Mermaid that went up to Land" ("陸にあがった人魚のはなし, Riku ni Agatta Ningyo no Hanashi"). In two days, the project reached 68% of its goal to create a three-minute pilot to showcase the viability of a one hour film.