Julian Is a Mermaid

This book is a joyful celebration of being a child and exploring your interests, without feeling bound by the constraints of expectations, gendered or otherwise. Books like these help our children to see that it’s okay to explore who they are, and model to adults how you can positively accept that exploration (rather than fear it). 

I adore the concept of this book and it’s so different from many other children’s books. I appreciate that the main character is proud to be different and doesn’t need to experience bullying in order to accept themselves. Julián’s grandmother accepts him straight away and the story is a beautiful example of family love. The book relies heavily on simple but beautiful illustrations, which showcase a great deal of diversity of skin colors, gender, hair colors, and body types. 

Julian is a Mermaid is a beautiful story of a little boy that sits outside the usual depictions of maleness. With few words and lavish illustrations this book elegantly shares the joy of imagination and dressing up. When I was writing my own book I wanted to contribute other versions of what it is to be a boy in a world dominated by a narrow definition of maleness. This book celebrates acceptance and creativity, a book I wish I could have seen when I was a young child, struggling with my own version of maleness.