Review: Julian Is A Mermaid and Julian At The Wedding by Jessica Love

There are few picture books that take my breath away but Julian Is a Mermaid and Julian at the Wedding undoubtedly do. 

Author-illustrator Jessica Love, an experienced theatre actor, brings all the drama of the stage to both of her exuberant character-driven books.

Sparse words allow expansive rich illustrations, painted on brown kraft paper, to dominate. Like a changing theatrical set, each spread transports you instantly to protagonist Julian's world, scenes switching between his secret imaginings and reality in his multicultural urban neighbourhood.

It's all about the characters’ expressions, actions, and posture. Each subtle change in the images signifies a shift in thoughts and feelings, which is fantastic for going beyond the text to develop inference and deduction skills at differentiated levels, from the EYFS right through to lower KS2. 

Love's award-winning debut, Julian Is a Mermaid (published 2018), is a glorious snapshot of Julian's childhood experience. Young Julian, who is Afro-Hispanic, lives with his abuela in downtown Brooklyn and, in this first book, he explores his personal preferences and sense of identity.

One morning, while travelling to swimming on the subway, Julian spies three confident Black women dressed in mermaid costumes. Beguiled by their gorgeousness, Julian discloses to his sharp-eyed abuela that he is a mermaid, too. Once home, he succumbs fully to his fancy for frills and fishtails, but will his abuela accept who he truly wants to be?

Subtle details from the outset hint at Julian's affinity with mermaids, such as his alter ego reflected in a mirror shown on the book's dust jacket, the mermaid-themed book he holds close, and a knowing glance from one of the 'mermaids' through the subway window.

The water imagery is strong throughout, from fish murals and umbrellas, to fire hydrants and swimsuits. And there's mermaid symbolism everywhere—even the house plants assume a fishtail-like form, acting as a reminder of Julian's true heart's desire. Fish and seagulls cleverly wax and wane in each scene depending on how Julian feels at different points in time.

Comparing the book's endpapers will allow children to explore how the main characters develop throughout the story. Initially Julian seems uncomfortable displaying his underwater skills to an indifferent group of abuelas but, by the end, he's happy and relaxed in his mermaid skin and the abuelas, too, have transformed into mermaids, suggesting their wholesale acceptance.

In his subway daydream, Julian imagines himself as a mermaid being given a necklace by a giant blue fish, as if to welcome him into the family of the sea. This daydream cleverly foreshadows the actions of Julian's abuela later in the story. You could ask younger children how they think Julian feels about being a mermaid in this image, and what else he might be thinking about. Older children could consider what the image tells them about Julian's hopes for how his abuela will react to the news, making the connection to events later on. Discussing the effect of the illustrator's choices could lead to art activities, such as collages/paintings of mermaids or seascapes, and water play to deepen understanding of the story themes (EAD/art and design). Julian Is a Mermaid is a lovingly crafted celebration of individuality, self-love, courage, and acceptance.

The second book, Julian at the Wedding, released earlier this month, is bolder and even better than its forerunner, although I missed the touches of Spanish.

This time, Julian and his abuela attend a gorgeous outdoor wedding at a local park and he is given the job of looking after the brides’ pet dog Gloria. Whilst there, he meets up with mischievous cousin, flower girl Marisol, who invites him under the table while the grownups gossip, eventually escaping to play below the canopy of a nearby willow tree. But when things get a little messy, creative Julian comes up with a sartorial plan, leading to a magical fairy-tale ending.

Love continues the aquamarine-peach scheme from the first book, which permeates the stunning wedding decor, clothing, furnishings, and the shimmery willow tree as a gentle nod to Julian’s attachment to mermaids.

Julian now appears confident in his own skin. He wears proudly a stylish lilac suit with a long-length peplum jacket, cerise pixie shoes and corsage, with a matching ribbon as a necktie. He wiles away the time draping himself in willow branches in contrast to Marisol who, despite her pristine peach dress, chooses to roll around in the grass with Gloria. Marisol also gives Julian her poppy garland to wear, reverting to her comfortable baseball cap, which emphasises both children's non-stereotypical preferences and limitless approach to life.

There are too many exquisite details in this book to mention. The illustrations are even more daring and elaborate; they are simply picturesque works of art. Love perfectly captures the warm essence of an inclusive and diverse Brooklyn community, mingling in joyful celebration as the sun sets on the New York skyline. The spreads showing the newlywed brides kissing and dancing at dusk are particularly moving.

And in the midst of it all, Julian and Marisol are on the cusp of independence, pushing boundaries while living in the moment. They represent hope for a new generation free to love, play, and be whomever they choose.

Guide for teachers and parents

Genre	Narrative: stories that promote discussion; stories with strong supporting illustrations
Child-led interests (EYFS)	sea creatures, mermaids, dressing up, home-corner, water play, painting, drawing,
Age group (EYFS, KS1, KS2)	EYFS (could also be used in KS1/lower KS2))
Curriculum links/topics (EYFS/NC)	EYFS: CAL PSED UW EAD
Suitability	whole-class reading, class/school library, home library, independent reader
General features	dominant illustrations tell the story and support comprehension skills; simple short sentences with some dialogue

All the Black children's books that I review are checked against my Jericho Benchmark.