A review by librarydreams
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I love that this book is based on a real festival (the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, if memory serves), but I wish that Love had included some information on said festival in the backmatter. Loves illustrations are magical and the choice of brown paper is brilliant. The wordless sections make this book a bit challenging to read-aloud, but it's worth it. I especially like to show the children the differing endpapers at the beginning and end of the book before we read to get their imaginations going.