Illustrator Barbara Nascibeni's Animals and Their Families is a delightful introduction to the animal kingdom. Each animal is presented first as a hand- painted silhouette on the left page, and then as a full color family in their environment on the right page. This skillful combination of recognizing simple shapes and the charming hand drawn style of the illustrations is a very appealing approach. Each illustration of the animal families includes three age-appropriate conversation starters: My Sound, My Home, and My Meal. This thoughtful "family album meets reference guide" is highly recommended.