Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Stonewall Award Winner 2019; Free Choice Selection

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Justification: I chose this book as my free-choice selection for it's beautiful message of love, self-love, and acceptance. Julián is a Mermaid is the recipient of the prestigious Stonewall Award for 2019. It's also one of the few gender non-conforming books in children's literature today.

Evaluation: The stunning illustrations in this book are rendered using vibrant watercolors with gouache and ink on brown paper. The text itself is sparse, however, the soft colors of the images provide the reader clues about Julián's thoughts and feelings and have a calming effect. Muted colors allow the focus to be drawn to the story and what Julian is experiencing and imagining as he dreams of becoming a mermaid. Fluid imagery and subtle body language help portray Julián’s emotions, such as when we see him shyly slumping his shoulders or tilting his chin up high in pride. The flowing, almost diaphanous watercolors evoke a dreamlike quality to the movement, like the waves of the sea, echoing Julián's desire to transform himself into a mermaid.

Julián is a Mermaid is a story about an Afro-Latinx family; the book focuses on a young boy named Julián and his abuela. After seeing three women dressed up as mermaids on the subway, Julián begins to fantasize about being a mermaid. He transforms himself using curtains and a houseplant and a swipe of his grandmother's lipstick and in the process, makes a mess in the house. He's afraid his abuela will be mad---and furthermore--what will she think of his dressing up like a mermaid? However, I won't spoil the ending of this beautiful tale (tail? See what I did there?). This book reminds the reader that gender norms can be broken. Anyone can be a mermaid! It is a story full of hope where love transcends prescriptive ways of being. Breaking down gender constructs, this story is about a boy revealing something essential about who he is and being received with love.

This picture book fills a need for increasing diversity in children's literature. Julián helps to cultivate awareness and understanding of a protagonist who may at first glance, may seem different from the reader. Julián is a Mermaid does a fantastic job of presenting a positive image of a member of a cultural minority. Not only is Julián Afro-Latinx, but the book deals with LGBTQ+ themes and normative ideals of masculinity. Julián can be perceived as different, or "other" for dressing outside his gender norms. Avoiding othering and looking at similarities between the reader and Julián us helpful. Children can identify with Julián as they too play dress up. Role-playing can be an essential part of a child's emotional development.

Conclusion:

Children will benefit from reading this book as it will remind them that imaginations do not need to be defined by strict identity roles. Imagining endless possibilities of selfhood allows children to feel comfortable exploring their identity.

Reference: Love, J. (2018). Julian is a Mermaid. Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2018.