Review of Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Young Julián lives with his abuela and is entranced by mermaids. One day, after swim class, Julian and his grandmother are riding the el when three beautiful women dressed as mermaids enter their train. Julian proclaims that he, too, is a mermaid, and at home, he creates a mermaid costume for himself out of curtains. This picture book is a celebration of childhood, acceptance and being true to yourself.

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Evaluation

In Julián Is a Mermaid, the language is spare, and Jessica Love does this purposely to keep the reader’s focus on the illustrations, which tell most of the story. From the text, we learn that “Julián LOVES mermaids” (Love, 2018b, p. 3), and Love repeats the word “mermaids” often to reinforce Julian’s obsession with the mythical creatures. As the story progresses, Julián asks his abuela if she saw the mermaids, and then tells her, “Abuela, I am also a mermaid” (Love, 2018b, p. 14). When his grandma takes a bath, Julián becomes a mermaid, using a fern and flowers as a headpiece and turning a curtain into the mermaid’s tail. Though the language is sparse, the words that are used convey Julián’s adoration of mermaids and his grandmother’s love and acceptance of Julián.

Jessica Love’s illustrations serve to define and develop characters in the story. Julián is a young boy with a vivid imagination, which plays out through the illustrations. When Julián first sees the mermaids on the subway, he imagines himself as a mermaid. The illustrations show Julián’s daydream: water floods into the train and Julián drops his book, slips out of his sandals and clothes, and floats away, with long, luscious hair. On the next two-page spread, Julián is surrounded by a sea of colorful marine creatures and he has become a mermaid, at least in his imagination. At home, Julián’s abuela takes a bath, and Julián decides to make his daydream come to life. The illustrations mirror the transformation that took place in Julián’s daydream: he slips out of his sandals and clothes, grows long, colorful locks (made out of fern leaves and flowers), and almost floats away with a long mermaid’s tail. The illustrations also show us that Julián is afraid that his grandma will be angry with him, but instead she embraces his imagination and supports him “becoming” a mermaid, taking him to a parade of mermaids and sea creatures who are just like Julián. The illustrations show us exactly who both Julián and his grandma are in this delightful story about finding self and supporting differences.

The illustrations also establish the setting while also extending the plot, which is important because the language is so spare. The words in the story tell us nothing about Julián’s imagination, so the illustrations flesh that out for the reader. We can literally see Julián’s imaginative transformation take place before our eyes. The text also tells us nothing about the neighborhood or the people, but the illustrations show Julián and his abuela walking down a city street on a hot day. Girls play in water blasting from a fire hydrant while seagulls peck crumbs from the sidewalk. Another man walks his dachshunds while clutching a grocery sack, and two ladies look on, wearing swimsuits and sunglasses and sipping cold drinks out of straws. The book ends with a mermaid parade at the beach. Love uses very few words, but the reader doesn’t need any additional text because the illustrations tell the story in a gorgeous way.

Response

I absolutely adored Julián Is a Mermaid. As a mother, I believe accepting our children for who they are is essential, and Julián’s abuela embraces exactly that philosophy. She may not have been thrilled that her grandson dismantled all the decorations in the living room to create his costume, but she realized that Julián wanted to be a mermaid and instead of chiding him, she took him to the mermaid parade. She also did not fuss about a boy dressing up in “girl” clothes or putting on lipstick. It is important for young children to express themselves in their own ways. My own boys enjoyed dressing up in dresses when they were young and my little nephew is obsessed with unicorns. I love that no one is telling them they can’t do those things because they’re for “girls.” Boys and girls need the opportunity to explore and figure out who they are. Another part of the story that I love is that the illustrations show all different body types: slender and plump, old and young, black and brown. All bodies are celebrated and loved. Julián Is a Mermaid is a delightful story about love and acceptance; the illustrations are colorful and beautiful and this is a story that will resonate with children and adults alike.

Conclusion

Jessica Love’s Julián Is a Mermaid is a beautiful story about a boy who wants to be a mermaid. The language is so sparse, but from the words on the page, we know that Julián loves mermaids and that his abuela loves him. The gorgeous illustrations do most of the work in the story, defining and developing the characters and establishing the setting and extending the plot. The reader sees Julián’s vivid imagination and his grandmother’s loving acceptance and the illustrations showcase their diverse community. Overall, Julián Is a Mermaid is an absolutely delightful story that celebrates a child’s imagination and focuses on acceptance. I highly recommend this book for all readers aged 4 and up; 5 stars.

Citations

Love, J. (2018a). [Cover image of Julián is a mermaid]. Retrieved from https://www.parents.com/fun/entertainment/books/kids-books-that-break-gender-role-stereotypes/

Love, J. (2018b). Julián is a mermaid. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.