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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Book That Shouldn't Exist by A.J. Cosmo, with illustrations by Felix Hinojosa, is truly as the title states. Intended for family members with small children who have been impacted by school shootings, the simple but important message is that, despite the world sometimes being a difficult and dangerous place, parents and family love them and will always do whatever they can to keep them as safe as possible. While the text is extraordinarily limited (in total it is three sentences long), the watercolor style images offer a striking depiction of children in the throes of and struggling through the aftermath of this specific tragedy.
Initially I found myself conflicted by this little book. There are a couple pictures that show what appears to be a mother locking a gun up in their home and a child entering a school through metal detectors that didn't sit comfortably with me. Families that are averse to the notion that prevention is contingent on the efforts of the family or school will probably want to stick to conversation. For those who are more open to efforts that include these measures, this book is a fantastic tool when attempts to comfort an affected child are necessary. It is genuinely in the illustrations that The Book That Shouldn't Exist shines. The artwork is sublime and its muted tones and realistic depictions are both depressingly truthful and insightful. I'd recommend this book to parents and families who are in the unfortunate position of having to explain this type of catastrophe to children.
