I feel like this book would've given me a place. I spent a lot of my earlier years trying to abolish the feminine aspects of myself, knowing what I was drawn to and knowing it meant ostracization. Neither, written and illustrated by Airlie Anderson Lil Miss Hot Mess, Los Angeles Chapter of Drag Queen Story Hour The best response I got was from a kid’s mother who came up to me after: “He just said, 'Mom, when I grow up I want to be a drag queen mermaid, too.'” It was so cute. My favorite part of the book is when his abuela first sees him - Julián has taken down the curtains and uprooted one of her plants to make this costume - and she actually hands him a necklace and says, “You need this.” I’ve read this book five or six times. His abuela doesn't think anything of it she supports him and takes him to what appears to be the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Julián Is a Mermaid is about this little boy who really likes mermaids and dresses up as one. This book would have shown me that boys can be mermaids, too. I would always hide when pretending to be a mermaid so I wouldn't get into trouble. When I was little, my favorite thing to do when I was swimming was the Ariel hair flip, or I would put my legs together and pretend I had a tail I grew up in a super religious household and my parents, my mother especially, didn't know what to do with that. I’m Puerto Rican and have always had a thing for mermaids, so this book holds a special little place in my heart.
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