Julián and his grandmother are riding home on the bus, when the little boy spots three beautiful mermaids. He imagines himself transforming into a long-haired mermaid himself, diving and turning in the water, surrounded by colorful fish. As his grandmother leads him home, Julián is still floating. Then, he gets an idea: using a houseplant, some flowers, make-up, and curtains, he creates his own mermaid costume. For a moment, he wonders how his grandmother wiill react. She lovingly offers a necklace to finish the look, and then she leads Julián the mermaid down to the ocean, where they join a parade of other mermaids and sea creatures. The beautiful, vibrant group is comprised of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
The characters and setting are depicted broadly, without clearly representing a specific group or place. They are portrayed in general terms to be open to the reader's interpretation. Julián is a young boy, perhaps about seven years old, who challenges gender stereotypes. Refreshingly, his grandmother does not hesitate to embrace Julián the mermaid. Rather than this be a tale of overcoming discrimination or hate, Jessica Love has created a celebratory story of acceptance. Julián and his grandmother appear to be black or Latinx, and the setting seems to be near the ocean, but could really be anywhere.
After reading this book, I was looking at reviews and awards it has garnered. I saw mention of the Spanish words used. In my copy, Julián speaks to his "Nana" and she, in turn, calls him "honey." However, I kept seeing allusions to the Hispanic/Latinx characters and the use of "abuela" and "mijo" respectively. I found this discrepancy really intriguing and it made me curious as to the author's decisions regarding word choice. Which text reflected the original version? Did she change her mind on the diction, or were multiple versions created? Upon a closer look, I realized that my copy was the British version, published in London. The differences in linguistic choices reflect the countries of publication. Especially in the United States version, the characters appear to be Latinx, due to their names for one another. Perhaps in England, this wording would not have been as familiar or had as great a resonance to the audience. No matter their ethnicity, Julián and his grandmother deliver a message of love and acceptance.
Jessica Love's illustrations are tropical and vibrant, with an ephemeral vibe. Some pages are muted and pastel in color, while others are deep and bright in their tone. So much of the story is told though these gorgeous images, because the text is spare. The characters' facial expressions and body language are palpable. The reader can feel Julián's nerves as he deliberates his choices, doubts himself, and awaits abuela's judgment. The love they share is clear in their eyes and faces. The pictures take up the whole page, and bring the reader right into the scenes. Love used gouache, a more opaque type of watercolor, to achieve this lovely effect. In this interview with Kirkus, Love describes her choice to paint on brown paper, to better complement the skin tones of her characters, rather than have a stark contrast with the negative space on white pages. Also in that interview, she explains that the story of Julián originally came to her in fully formed images, without any text. This explains why the illustrations are such an integral part of the book.
The theme of Julián Is A Mermaid is to practice acceptance and not to be afraid to be oneself. Self-love is celebrated, and the title character and his grandmother joyfully join in the parade of gorgeous mermaids, demonstrating that we can defy gender norms and embrace our true selves.
This picture book does not really include stereotypes. Social norms will often dictate that a young boy should not imagine himself as a mermaid, but the nice thing about Jessica Love's work here is that the grandmother does not question Julián, and he does not face backlash or negativity. If kindness and love become the norm, perhaps young readers will not have to worry about overcoming bullying or discrimination so much. Instead, more people can practice acceptance.
Julián Is A Mermaid seems authentic and genuine, without being preachy or didactic. It does not provide much in terms of cultural setting or facts, and so notes are not necessary. The story is simple, yet powerful, touching, and joyful.
Earning starred reviews from Horn Book, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus, Julián Is A Mermaid is an acclaimed and important book for any library. It received a Stonewall Book Award for its exceptional merit related to LGBTQ experiences.
As a lesson to coordinate with this book, students should be encouraged to discuss the concept of identity and to practice empathy. Students will use an artistic medium, like collage, painting, or drawing to represent aspects of their own identity in an "identity self-portrait." They will then hang them up as a gallery walk, or can share with a partner the important aspects of their own identity. The message from the book should be discussed and reiterated: our differences make us unique and should be celebrated. We support one another! This lesson from Teaching Tolerance provides more instruction, guiding questions, and a rubric for the identity self-portraits.
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