From the acclaimed author-illustrator of Julian is a Mermaid comes a story of small moments between father and child that affirms the comfort of finding ones place in the world.Were going camping, you and me.Where? I ask.The desert, says Dad. To shake hands with the universe.Going to bed each night can be dark and scary. The night sky stretches out endlessly, making one sensitive child feel small in comparison. So Dad comes up with a plan: a night of camping out in the desert. Together, the two load up Darlin, the old pickup truck, and drive over the mountain with the radio on, stopping to shoot the breeze at a junkyard before setting up camp, jumping in sand dunes, and lying back to name all the birds they can see. After sunset, when the young thinker feels tiny against the vast sky, Dad knows just what to ask and just what to say to soothe away fears. Maybe this night spent under the stars (and a surprise from Mum and the baby later) are just what is needed to show that the universe is a friendly place.

 

 

This book has been graded for interest at 3-7 years.

There are 40 pages in this book.

This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+).

This book was published in 2023 by Walker Books Ltd .

Jessica Love is an illustrator and Broadway actress. She has a BA in studio art from the University of California, as well as a graduate degree from Juilliard. Julian Is A Mermaid is her first picture book. Find her online at jessicalove. org/art.