I did and do like this book, If Anything Happens I Love You . However, it is a “pull at your heartstrings” story that is a smidgen pushy. Yet, the fact the creators, Will McCormack, Michael Govier, and Youngran Nho focus on the life of our main character, and not her death, is refreshing.
Of course, we see the grieving of her parents, but that is just a piece of the larger puzzle of the situation at hand. This is a celebration of life, love and healing. It is showing how in 12 short years our narrator packed a lot of life into it. We focus on that while you are sad, there is a journey you take to healing. And we see this all through the eyes of Rose, the girl who one fateful day had her life taken. Her spirit is “physically” in the room, while the memories are given.
One of the aspects that drew me in, is that while the child is our narrator, she has a more mature voice and understanding of things around her than you would expect from a 12-year-old. Yet, it is also young and easily believable as a kid/pre-teen telling us. The other part I thought well done was the fact we do not dwell on the day things happened, but they are not glossed over. There is no “preachy” but you do know the path we are supposed to take.
The illustrations are delightful paired with the text/story and are both supporter and their own character. The color yellow is perhaps the most important color used, but what color is there is important. Different tones, moods and emotions wanting to be expressed are given their own color choices. Therefore, things are everything from black and white, to blues, yellow or a mixture.
