A series of family portraits, with border art as special as the families within, provide the framework for Families, Families, Families! The wife and husband team of writer Suzanne Lang and award-winning illustrator Max Lang have combined the talents in their family to create an utterly charming picture book about the varied nature of families.
Winsome illustrations of animal families, with their large eyes and noses, will delight children and parents alike. Real objects are superimposed over the family “photos,” such as bamboo for the panda family, pushpins holding the koala family’s pictures to a bulletin board or magnetic letters (that children likely recognize) holding the moose family portrait. The frames for the pictures relate to these diverse households, too: The rooster family’s frame is made of hay, the octopus seashells, and the hippopotamus’ frame has a tribal design.
Bolded words depict family relationships in the portraits, such as children having many siblings, and others having none. Parents can be married or unmarried. Children live with two moms or two dads, one mom or one dad, grandparents, an aunt and cousins or step-siblings. Cheery, daffy rhymes on the last several pages bring home the message of the book: It doesn't matter what form your family takes, love is what really makes the group a family.
