Lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II taught us all that “ you have to be carefully taught.” Let’s make sure we teach carefully from the beginning. The book is a tool for conversations that you will inevitably have. As the child gets older, the conversation can progress into more comprehensive discussions about the LGBTQ+ community. You can start reading this book as a book about a boy who likes to be different. This book is about self-discovery, about acceptance, and, like most of the books I’m drawn to, about unconditional love.Īimed primarily at the 4-8-year-old group, this book stays on my bookshelf because it will take your child at the cognitive age that they present. Yes, I suppose that on one level Julián does enjoy taking on a persona that he does not yet embody. I have seen and heard numerous people refer to this book as a book about a boy that likes to dress up. The palette is warm and inviting, but distinct enough to demarcate the culture she is showcasing. Her colors are both vivid, and somehow understated. The dream sequence, where Julián emotes 11 distinct, separate facial expressions in the span of six pages, captures the exuberance of self-discovery with a range worthy of a live character.

Her illustrations are thoughtful, and her ability to capture character through them, undoubtedly influenced by her time at Julliard, are one of the driving forces behind this storybook. Love studied printmaking and illustration at the University of California Santa Cruz, and then went on to study acting at Julliard. The story concludes with both attending a mermaid parade by the seaside Julián, in full mermaid regalia. She returns shortly with a string of pearls.

When Abuela comes out of the shower, Julián is in full mermaid attire, momentarily, and only momentarily, seemingly surprising his Abuela who immediately exits the room. So much so, in fact, that a dream sequence ensues where Julián becomes a mermaid.Īt home, while his Abuela takes a shower, Julián uses household objects to dress up as a mermaid. On the subway ride home, while perusing a book on Mermaids, Julián encounters three actual mermaids and seems mesmerized by them. Apparently taking an aerobics swimming class at the local Y, Julián’s Abuela has him along for the class. We meet Julián and his Abuela before the story even begins, in the book’s front end papers. If this book is not in your child’s school library, get it in there. Only spanning a few hours, the story encapsulates how an adult, in this case the child’s grandmother, can recognize the need for self-expression even in a young child. A gentle, loving story, Julián is a Mermaid, explores themes of identity, relationships, acceptance and love.

Book julian is a mermaid