Julian is a Mermaid - Book Review

Julian is a Mermaid - Book Review

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Posted 2023-12-16 by Marisa Quinn-Haisufollow
Love, J. Julian is a Mermaid. Walker Books (2018). Image Link.

Julian is a Mermaid is a 40-page children’s picture book that was written and illustrated by Jessica Love. It was published by Walker Books on 1 May 2018 and is suitable for children between 3 and 9 years of age. Julian is a Mermaid tells the story of a little boy named Julian who decides that he wants to dress up as a mermaid after he sees a group of women dressed up as beautiful mermaids on the train.

Julian is a Mermaid explores gender fluidity, gender identity, imaginative play, non-gender conformity, and gender stereotypes. This book had some of the most beautiful artwork I've ever seen. There was so much diversity, colour and emotion on each of the pages. The characters are all people of colour and each of them have different body types. Julian is small and thin with short hair, his Nana has big white hair and wide hips, and the mermaids are large and beautiful women dressed in heels and tightly fitting green dresses.

After Julian sees some mermaids on the train, he is dazzled by them. He imagines what it would be like to shed his clothes and dive down into the ocean and swim with all of the colourful fishes in the sea. In his daydream, he has big hair and a long, pink mermaid tail. He is beautiful. He is pretty. He is who he wants to be.

After leaving the train, Julian and his Nana go home. He cannot get the mermaids out of his mind. He tells his Nana that he is also a mermaid. Julian gets an idea to create a mermaid costume of his own. He borrows some of his Nana's lipstick and creates a dress for himself out of a curtain and a headdress out of a potted plant. He looks in the mirror and likes what he sees. He finally feels as pretty as the mermaids that he saw on the train.

Julian is a Mermaid has very little words in it. The real story is in the illustrations and in the expressions on the character's faces. Julian is a Mermaid has a positive message in it for kids and that is dressing up is a normal and healthy activity for both girls and boys to participate in. There is no agenda in this book and there are no labels put on Julian. He is just a kid who loves mermaids and that is beautiful.

Summary: Julian engages in imaginative play and dresses up as a mermaid.
Website: Julian is a Mermaid - Walker Books
Cost $10.99
More Book Reviews by Marisa
Julian at the Wedding - Book Review
Thelma the Unicorn - Book Review
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn - Book Review


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86199 - 2023-06-11 07:19:34

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