Book Review: Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love.

ByKelly Allen
*Thanks to Walker Books for this review copy.

I don’t need to tell you how much we adore books, but I will anyway – WE ADORE BOOKS! It’s always a massive pleasure to share our bookish themed posts on the blog, because we read a lot of amazing books and we want to share them with you. Recently we were sent Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, and what a lovely book it is!

Julian is a young boy who falls completely in love with the idea of being a mermaid. When he uses things from around his Nana’s house (including her curtains!), we find out exactly what she thinks about Julian being a mermaid…

I love books that break the gender stereotypes, and this book does it with style. I knew George and Molly would enjoy the story and themes within, because they’re very keen on equality and choice. They asked lots of questions as I read the book, and this worked really well because there’s only a small amount of text on each page, leaving the illustrations (and children!) to do the talking.

The story follows Julian from the moment he spots the mermaids ladies to his transformation into a mermaid and his Nana’s reaction…

Julian is full of strong imagination, which is produced through illustrations within the book, plus the book allows the reader(s) to expand their imaginations.
The story-line is really important and I love how simple the writing is. This kind of subject needs to evoke discussion and if it had heavy dialogue and description, I doubt these things could happen. The illustrations are beyond gorgeous, with swirls and pops of colour, we really enjoyed seeing the story unfold through our very own eyes.
I’m a massive sucker for hardback books, and this book is such a joy to hold and read. From a rainbow of colours and feelings, to sights and sounds throughout, it warms my heart to recommend it to you.
I think this book is extremely uplifting, not only does it focus on gender stereotypes and the joy of supporting others in the things they love, it also teaches us as parents/grandparents to support and nourish. Sometimes it’s important to let the little things go, and instead embrace the little personalities around us and help them grow.
9/10

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