Julián at the Wedding

Mermaid-loving Julián and his grandmother return in this follow-up to their initial adventure, chronicled in author/illustrator Jessica Love's debut picture-book, Julián Is a Mermaid. This time they are attending a wedding, one in which Julián will be the ring-bearer, and his new friend Marisol the flower girl. After performing their duty to the two brides, the children sneak away from the wedding dinner to play, having a wonderful game of make-believe, after Marisol dirties her dress. But will their abuelas understand, when they come to get them...?

Much as with the first book, I found the artwork in Julián at the Wedding absolutely stunning! Once again, the pages are a brown, sepia tone, boasting vibrantly colorful watercolor, show more gouache and ink illustrations that really jump out at the reader. I love everything about this artwork, from the pages themselves to the color palette used, to the delightfully expressive human figures throughout, and the somewhat quirky and individual styles of the two abuelas. The story is sweet, featuring a same-sex wedding, a close-knit family and community group, and two children who are allowed to play and explore. I didn't find this one quite as engaging as the first, probably because it lacked the suspense - would abuela accept Julián for who he is? - but it was still engaging, and the artwork just as breathtaking. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed the first picture-book about Julián. show less

Four stars, not five? Yes, but only because the plot eluded me. The illustrations are simply beautiful! The story is cute, but seems incomplete. The exact same book, without words, would have been five stars for sure. All that said, I would by all means recommend this book!

Oh I have many thoughts on this book......some are good and some are not so good.

What I liked:

As noted in other reviews, the color palate and illustrations are a pure delight. I thought they were in Julian in the Mermaid and now, with the background of a wedding.....gorgeous!

Inclusivity is still the front and center storyline and I love that. Especially for representation's sake. There is an LGBT wedding that will be appreciated by many audiences. And the friendship between Julian and his new pal, Marisol is sweet.

What I disliked:

I do struggle with "what's the point." Unlike Julian and the Mermaid, I could really tell the hope, the message, of the book. But here, now, I don't. Julian and Marisol get into exploits and have to find "wings show more to soar". Is there a message deeper than that? I wish I knew.

I find it interesting to be reading this book in light of the discussion I have been having at school. To my knowledge, Jessica Love isn't a part of the LGBT community. Should she be? Don't communities deserve to be represented by people of their own voice? Again, this is not a major make or break for me, but it does get me thinking.

Personally, I think Julian and the Mermaid is infinitely more superior to this one. show less

A follow-up to the adventures of Julian discovering mermaids, this suffers in comparison.

I continue to love Love's artistic sensibilities, but almost none of the pictures felt as vibrant or as unusual as in the the mermaid story where there were a variety of people, dresses and fantasies. I also remain somewhat confused by the choice of background page color, as it seems a little too dark to let Love's color choices pop into something really eye-catching. Perhaps she was thinking of white wedding and contrast, but blues and greens have trouble standing out, a problem when some of the scenes are beneath a weeping willow.



The story is minimalist--Julian and friend are the flower children at a female couple's wedding then go to play show more after--but perhaps the value is in normalizing those occasions.



While [b:Julián Is a Mermaid|26532714|Julián Is a Mermaid (Julián, #1)|Jessica Love|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503977423l/26532714._SX50_.jpg|46532501] (a great drag queen band name, btw) was a fun book that I added to my own library, this is one didn't spur the same atavistic desire I felt reading the first, either beauty or story. show less

"A wedding is a party for love." I love this line. Julián is back, this time helping at a wedding with his cousin, Marisol. After the ceremony, they play and use their imaginations, and Marisol gets just a bit (ahem) muddy. Julián shows kindness by offering his shirt to Marisol, and they play and have fun. When Marisol's abuela sees the muddy dress, she shows acceptance and love, reminiscent of Julián's abuela in the first book, Julián Is a Mermaid. I love that thread of gentleness in this family. Kids are celebrated for being kids, and they aren't scolded for doing kid things. Again, the illustrations are superb, with lots of movement and expression giving life to the characters.

"A wedding is a party for love."

Now Julián has a friend, Marisol, and they are going to be in a wedding! Julián is wearing a smart lavender suit jacket and short pants, while Marisol is wearing a peach dress and a crown of flowers. The brides - one in a white dress and one in a white suit - hand Julián a dog's leash and Marisol a basket of flower petals. After playing their parts in the wedding, Julián and Marisol sneak off to play; when Marisol's dress gets dirty, Julián offers her his white button-down shirt, and she gives him her flower crown. As before (Julián Is A Mermaid), there is a moment of tension when the abuelas appear - will the kids get in trouble? - but all is well. The text is minimal; watercolor, gouache, and ink show more illustrations glow exuberantly from the brown pages. show less

Mermaid-loving Julián is back!

Julián and Abuela arrive at an outdoor wedding on a green lawn (discerning eyes will spy the Statue of Liberty in the distance). Both meet friends at the wedding: Abuela, a familiar friend, and Julián, a new one, Marisol. Julián and Marisol are part of the wedding, which the text proclaims is “a party for love.” Julián holds the leash of Gloria, the brides’ dog, and Marisol—whose baseball cap has been swapped out for a flower crown—tosses petals. Later, after Marisol gifts Julián the flower crown, Marisol, Julián, and Gloria run off to the “fairy house,” or weeping willow. Marisol and Gloria have such fun that muddy paws aren’t a thought...until Marisol’s peach-pink dress is covered show more in paw prints. But never fear, innovative Julián is here! With the help of the fairy house, all’s well that ends well: Marisol’s hat is returned, the brides welcome the pair back, and everyone celebrates love. Love’s media, applied, as in the previous book, on brown paper, create colors that appear simultaneously soft and vibrant. Most of the main characters present Black or have brown skin. As established in the previous book, Julián and Abuela are Afro-Latinx, and Abuela’s friend and Marisol are also cued Latinx.

A celebration of weddings and a subtle yet poignant reminder that gender, like love, is expansive. Lovely. (Picture book. 4-8.)

-Kirkus Review show less