Julián Is a Mermaid

Jessica Love's "Julian is a Mermaid" is a luminous celebration of identity and imagination that unfolds through sparse text and expressive illustrations. Julian's journey of self-discovery—inspired by glimpsing women dressed as mermaids on the subway—resonates with authentic emotional depth as his abuela's loving acceptance becomes the story's beating heart. The artwork dazzles with its warm color palette and delicate details, transforming everyday Brooklyn into a dreamy underwater realm where Julian can fully express himself. This tender portrayal of unconditional love and the freedom to be oneself stands as an essential, affirming story for readers of all ages.

Julián knows he’s a mermaid.

On the el with his abuela, Afro-Latinx Julián looks on, entranced, as three mermaids enter their car. Instantly enamored, Julián imagines himself a mermaid. In a sequence of wordless double-page spreads, the watercolor, gouache, and ink art—perfect for this watercentric tale—depicts adorable Julián’s progression from human to mermaid: reading his book on the el with water rushing in, then swimming in that water and freeing himself from the constraints of human clothing as his hair grows longer (never losing its texture). When Julián discovers he has a mermaid tail, his charming expressions make his surprise and delight palpable. At home, Julián tells Abuela that he, too, is a mermaid; Abuela show more admonishes him to “be good” while she takes a bath. A loose interpretation of being “good” could include what happens next as Julián decides to act out his “good idea”: He sheds his clothes (all except undies), ties fern fronds and flowers to his headband, puts on lipstick, and fashions gauzy, flowing curtains into a mermaid tail. When Abuela emerges with a disapproving look, readers may think Julián is in trouble—but a twist allows for a story of recognition and approval of his gender nonconformity. Refreshingly, Spanish words aren’t italicized.

Though it could easily feel preachy, this charmingly subversive tale instead offers a simple yet powerful story of the importance of being seen and affirmed. (Picture book. 3-8)

-Kirkus Review show less

Julián knows he’s a mermaid.

On the el with his abuela, Afro-Latinx Julián looks on, entranced, as three mermaids enter their car. Instantly enamored, Julián imagines himself a mermaid. In a sequence of wordless double-page spreads, the watercolor, gouache, and ink art—perfect for this watercentric tale—depicts adorable Julián’s progression from human to mermaid: reading his book on the el with water rushing in, then swimming in that water and freeing himself from the constraints of human clothing as his hair grows longer (never losing its texture). When Julián discovers he has a mermaid tail, his charming expressions make his surprise and delight palpable. At home, Julián tells Abuela that he, too, is a mermaid; Abuela show more admonishes him to “be good” while she takes a bath. A loose interpretation of being “good” could include what happens next as Julián decides to act out his “good idea”: He sheds his clothes (all except undies), ties fern fronds and flowers to his headband, puts on lipstick, and fashions gauzy, flowing curtains into a mermaid tail. When Abuela emerges with a disapproving look, readers may think Julián is in trouble—but a twist allows for a story of recognition and approval of his gender nonconformity. Refreshingly, Spanish words aren’t italicized.

Though it could easily feel preachy, this charmingly subversive tale instead offers a simple yet powerful story of the importance of being seen and affirmed. (Picture book. 3-8)

-Kirkus Review show less

Riding the subway with his abuela one day, young Julián sees three beautiful mermaids, resplendent in their fins. Having always loved these watery creatures, he is absolutely thrilled, and begins to imagine himself as one of them. Once he and abuela get home, he uses a fern, a curtain and his grandmother's makeup to transform himself. But what will abuela think...?

A lovely book, one which pairs a thoughtful, emotionally resonant story about a young boy exploring his identity with absolutely gorgeous illustrations, Julián Is a Mermaid is everything a picture-book should be. Word and image work seamlessly together, making it particularly astonishing that this is a debut from author/artist Jessica Love. I appreciated the fact that show more Julián's abuela is so loving and accepting, I enjoyed the New York setting (for those not in the know, New York has an annual Mermaid Parade, held at Coney Island in the summer), and I loved the artwork. The pages are brown, and the watercolor, gouache and ink illustrations vibrantly colorful. I particularly loved the scene in which the mermaid Julián confronts the huge blue fish - it fairly leaps off the page! Recommended to all young mermaid lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories about little boys who don't conform to the stereotypical interests and image often defined as masculine. show less

In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world. While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and show more full of heart, Jessica Love's author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality. show less

Young Julián is riding the train with abuela, people-watching. He spots three mermaids! After arriving home, Julián dresses up while abuela takes a bath. Curtains make his tail, feathers make his long hair. Julián looks amazing – and abuela affirms him by giving him a long pearl necklace to wear. Together Julián and abuela travel to a parade with other people just like Julián ... mermaids. The wonderful thing about this gorgeously-illustrated book is that there are two story arcs – first, there is the blatant: kid dresses up like a mermaid for fun, and abuela lets him off the hook for using curtains for a costume. Then there is the more subtle: kid is inspired by gender-nonconforming people seen on the train, dresses up like a show more mermaid for fun, and is celebrated for his exploration of gender at a young age. I think both stories are important, and make this book enjoyable in multiple ways. show less

Julián loves the mermaids he sees on the subway, and inspired, creates his own mermaid costume while his abuela is taking a bath. Instead of getting in trouble for picking fern fronds for flowing hair and taking down the curtain to create a tail, abuela takes one look at Julián and takes him to see more mermaids. The expressive illustrations are EVERYTHING. In fact, there are several page spreads that have no text and speak for themselves. Clever use of pattern and color give callbacks for observant readers, and Julián's joy is infectious.