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Julián Is a Mermaid by [Jessica Love]

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Jessica Love
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Julián Is a Mermaid Kindle Edition

by
Jessica Love (Author, Illustrator)
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Jessica Love (Author, Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 out of 5 stars 3,676 ratings
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    40 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Publisher
    Candlewick Press
  6. Publication date
    June 18 2019
  7. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0763690458
  11. See all details
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Product description

Review

This is Jessica Love’s debut picture book, and every choice she makes — the spare text, a color palette both muted and lively, full-bleed pages that make even subway cars and apartment rooms feel as expansive as the ocean — imbues the story with charm, tenderness and humor…Alongside Julián, readers learn that anyone can be a mermaid: All it takes is love and acceptance, a little imagination and a big swishy tail.
—The New York Times Book Review

Love couples the spare narrative with vivid, imaginative, and breathtaking illustrations. A heartwarming must-have for one-on-one and small group sharing.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Refreshingly, Spanish words aren't italicized. Though it could easily feel preachy, this charmingly subversive tale instead offers a simple yet powerful story of the importance of being seen and affirmed.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

[Julian] is, in a word, fabulous. Love lets an anxious beat pass before Abuela takes Julián by the hand, leading him to what some readers may recognize as the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. “Like you, mijo,” says Abuela. “Let’s join them.” Love’s deep empathy for her characters and her keen-eyed observations of urban life come together in a story of love, understanding, and embracing the mermaid within us all.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The luminous, lovely, and layered art is what really makes the book...The concluding parade is a confectionary wonder of marine fantasy that many kids will yearn to join, and it might prompt adults to set up their own in- library mermaid celebrations. More importantly, though, those who’ve been shy about their love for dazzle and showmanship will love the idea of a formidable grandparental ally, and they will find this encouraging and empowering.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Julián’s emotional journey takes on depth through small but important details: a wary look in the mirror, a slight inward slump of the shoulders, a chin held high while marching down the street. Love uses vibrant watercolors with gouache and ink and a lively style to create scenes that splash and swirl to life on the page.
—The Horn Book (starred review)

Across her watercolor, gouache and ink spreads, Love captures the transformative power of being seen...Love's affecting combination of the literary and the visual results in a powerful affirmation of individuality, creative expression and unconditional acceptance.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers (starred review)

Love’s painted scenes glow against muted backgrounds, with saturated, opaque tones tracing the graceful shapes of the figures. They’re especially striking when Julián gets swept away in a vivid underwater fantasy: a school of sea creatures whirls around him as he transforms into a mermaid. That scene is nicely replicated when he arrives at the parade, which is populated by scores of people in a wide variety of inventive costumes. The affectionate depiction of a broad range of body types and skin tones makes this particularly cheery.
—Booklist

This beautiful book is one of the very few picture books about a gender non-conforming child. Yet it feels like a celebration of all children who want to do things differently than the parental figures in their lives—and a love letter to the grownups who deeply understand them.
—Gothamist

There is nothing about this book that is forgettable. In fact, you may have a hard time not thinking long and hard about it after you put it down. A book for mermaids and boys and girls and parents and teachers and booksellers and librarians and . . . Let’s just simplify things and say it’s a book for the human race.
—Betsy Bird

Jessica Love’s vivid watercolor and gouache illustrations are made even brighter by her decision to paint on brown paper; the richly colored palette pops off the pages, and abundant character is conveyed via the subtlest of facial expressions and body language. Also subtle—and terrifically poignant—is the eloquent encouragement of Abuela’s spare words. A book for the ages, Julián Is a Mermaid is going to make a big splash.
—BookPage

The illustrations couldn’t be more beautiful, and I love how Julián’s grandmother accepts him for exactly who he is...I’m so grateful for books like these that help foster acceptance and understanding from a young age.
—A Cup of Jo (blog)

Julián Is a Mermaid makes a fine addition to the best LBGT children’s books.
—Brain Pickings (blog)

Groundbreaking...here’s a happy picture book that challenges traditional gender stereotypes, rendering one boy free to be himself.
—San Francisco Chronicle

Right now, I just finished reading ‘Julián Is a Mermaid,’ by Jessica Love, which is an awesome picture book, one of my favorites, and I won’t spoil the end for you, but it has something to do with the mermaid parade.
—Charles George Esperanza, The New York Times

It’s a story of a little boy who is taken with some elegant costumes, and decides to fashion one of his own. It’s that simple, but it makes a big impression; I can’t recommend it highly enough.
—The New York Times Book Review e-newsletter --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Jessica Love is an illustrator and a New York based actor. She has a BA in studio art from the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as a graduate degree from Juilliard. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07SDC6MS6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick Press; Illustrated edition (June 18 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5734 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 3,676 ratings

About the author

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Jessica Love

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Jessica Love is the author and illustrator of the critically acclaimed picture book, Julián is a Mermaid, published by Candlewick Press. Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Jessica studied printmaking and visual art at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and graduated with a degree in Visual Art.

She was then accepted to The Juilliard School to study acting, and graduated with a degree in Drama in 2009, and has been working as a stage actor ever since. She has appeared on and off-Broadway, as well as many theaters around the U.S.

Julián is a Mermaid is Jessica's first book, and she lives in Brooklyn.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
3,676 global ratings
5 star
90%
4 star
6%
3 star
2%
2 star
1%
1 star
1%

Top reviews from Canada

Rosier
5.0 out of 5 stars What's not to love!
Reviewed in Canada on August 7, 2019
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Aleesha Lyle
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Story!
Reviewed in Canada on November 21, 2021
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Levi Labelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Can I be a mermaid too?
Reviewed in Canada on February 24, 2020
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C Moss
5.0 out of 5 stars Unconditional love between a child and grandparent
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2020
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Daddywarbuck
5.0 out of 5 stars Boys can be mermaids too
Reviewed in Canada on May 15, 2021
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cg
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Reviewed in Canada on April 8, 2021
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BC
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story
Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2019
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Myriam blouin
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Reviewed in Canada on March 12, 2022
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Top reviews from other countries

Dr. Catherine Butler
3.0 out of 5 stars What happened to the Spanish?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2019
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86 people found this helpful
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Caroline Clary
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2018
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24 people found this helpful
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One Man Book
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is Everything
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2020
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12 people found this helpful
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Zephyr
2.0 out of 5 stars Stunning pictures, but lacking in words
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2020
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6 people found this helpful
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susan Yardley
1.0 out of 5 stars Rubbish
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2020
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