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Many practitioners and pundits caution sternly against didacticism in books for children, a stance I find puzzling. Why write for young readers if you don’t feel you have something of value to convey to them? It’s true, however, that the stories children cherish most elevate story and character over preaching.
Four new books address topics relevant to our current age of anxiety: bullying, the constant stream of bad news from the media, the need for kindness and acceptance. These books attempt to avoid the preachiness pitfall by relying on images.
The title and jacket art for “Julián Is a Mermaid” prefigure a seemingly predictable story about identity and acceptance. But along the way, surprises and delights exemplify the unexpected inevitability of the best storytelling.
In the introductory spread, Julián, who seems about 6, is swimming with several abuelas all wearing bathing caps and fond, watchful gazes. Then we see Julián and his abuela on the subway, where the other passengers include three splendid mermaids. Are they figments of Julián’s imagination? The text gives no hint: “This is a boy named Julián,” we read. “And this is his abuela. And those are some mermaids.”
On closer examination the mermaids have feet, and wear sandals. Three wordless spreads follow, in which Julián imagines frolicking in the ocean with dreamlike sea creatures. Once home, Julián uses household items (a curtain, ferns from a planter) to garb himself as a mermaid. When his abuela catches him, she turns her back, only to return with a gift.
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. In the joyous conclusion, the pair make their way to a mermaid parade (an annual event at Coney Island in Brooklyn) and join the spectacle. The final illustration shows the abuelas from the first spread, transformed into mermaids. 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.
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