One of the Most Beautifully Illustrated Books in our Library

Julián is a Mermaid

Written and illustrated by Jessica Love

Ages 2-6 | 40 Pages

Publisher: Candlewick Press

A story with little text but a big message, JULIÁN IS A MERMAID is a perfect story for especially young readers. Jessica Love’s mesmerizing illustrations are able to tell more of a story than the words alone, and one could find themself getting lost looking at just the incredible pages of this beautiful children’s picture book.

While the story itself does not explicitly deal with gender identity or sexuality, it does explore gender expression through Julián’s desire to be a mermaid. Julián wants to be a mermaid so badly that he accidentally creates a mess at his abuela’s home while trying to find the right costume. Thankfully, when his abuela sees him, she’s not mad in the slightest and instead wants to take Julián with her to see other mermaids and be a part of the spectacle.

In this book, we learn that anyone can be anything they want to be - even a mermaid! It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy, or a girl, or non-binary - you can still be a mermaid.

Looking for a book with beautiful illustrations and a heartfelt message? Well then look no further than Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut! You can request this book from our free library here and find a coloring worksheet free to download here.