The Great Big Book Of Families

What is a family? Once, it was said to be a father, mother, boy, girl, cat and dog living in a house with a garden. But as times have changed, families have changed too, and now there are almost as many kinds of families as colours of the rainbow - from a mum and dad or single parent to two mums or two dads, from a mixed-race family to children with different mums and dads, from families with a disabled member to those with a mum or dad in prison.

Mary Hoffman takes a look through children's eyes at the wide varieties of family life: from homes, food, ways of celebrating, schools and holidays to getting around, jobs and housework, from extended families, languages and hobbies to pets and family trees - and she concludes that, for most people, their own family is the best one of all!

With Ros Asquith's delightful pictures, this book takes a fresh, optimistic look at families of today. Review: This clever book is taking a truly 21st Century look at family life... In spite of managing to reflect the reality of life for all families, the book refrains from making value judgements. No family is depicted as better or worse than any other - just different.

Primary Teacher Update 'Useful, funny and truthful' The Bookseller Crow, Families SE 'A wonderfully entertaining celebration of the huge diversity found within contemporary families.' Little Parachutes 'It's a book packed with detail, humour and interest, reminding us that there is no such thing as 'normal' or 'abnormal' - we are all equal. ..In terms of diversity in its widest sense, books simply don't get much more inclusive than this.' Booktrust