BookDragon Blog

Introduced in author/illustrator Jessica Love’s 2018 Julián Is a Mermaid, self-expressive Julián returns for a command performance in Julián at the Wedding, this time with a fabulous partner-in-play, Marisol. Repeating her memorably affecting formula of minimal text/maximum art, Love again offers another sparkling gift to young (and young-at-heart) audiences.

Julián and his grandmother are back, making a stupendous entrance on the opening endpapers, which showcase the pair parading down a sidewalk side-by-side. Sartorially magnificent – Julián’s lilac suit with tuxedo-esque tails and fuscia shoes; Abuela with her cloud-like bouffant, golden earrings cresting her shoulders, dramatic dress and glowing wrap – the resplendent duo are clearly heading to a special event. They arrive at their destination on the title page, cleverly revealing the titular wedding as Julián and Abuela break the fourth wall to share their excited anticipation with the reader. They’re greeted by Marisol in a peach, fluffy gown (jauntily accessorized with a backwards periwinkle baseball cap) and her own grandmother in geometric finery and strappy high heels. Let the party begin.

Julián is bedecked with a magenta corsage and Marisol’s hat has been replaced with a crown of red anemones. Coming face-to-face, Marisol wants to shake hands, Julián offers two left fingers. When they meet the gorgeous brides (both in blue suede shoes!), Marisol is handed a basket of petals and Julián is given the cerulean-ribbon leash of the lovebirds’ dog, Gloria. The trio complete the wedding party, tucked under the canopy of a bridal veil, bearing witness to a storybook kiss of joyous commitment.

While the older guests enjoy the splendid reception that follows, Julián and Marisol have other plans. Hiding under a lace-bedecked table, Marisol quickly presents Julián with her anemones before whispering “Let’s go.” Under watchful grandmotherly gazes that miss little, the pair dash off to “a fairy house” of willow trees, where adventures abound. Wardrobe malfunctions prove inevitable for Marisol, whose rambunctious energy matches Gloria’s in – “uh-oh” – muddy lawns that dirty frocks. Julián, however, “has an idea,” as he inventively mixes-and-matches better fitting attire.

Spread after spread, Love’s watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations feature explosive color and flowing lines. The art is enhanced by Love’s exacting details – high heels in hands after feet tire, lamplight glowing to denote time passing, the sweeping branches of the willow tree – which add breathtaking drama to the lively, inviting scenes. Once more, her near-wordless art adroitly and delightfully captures the transformative power of being seen: just as Abuela confirmed Julián’s singular selfhood in Julián Is a Mermaid, Marisol gets her own affirmation here – with Julián’s brilliant assistance – from her own grandmother. Love achieves another perfect union.

Shelf Talker: Just as Abuela enabled Julián’s fabulosity in Julián Is a Mermaid, his friend Marisol receives her own grandmotherly affirmation in Julián at the Wedding.

Review: Shelf Awareness Pro, September 9, 2020

Readers: Children

Published: 2020