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Reviewed by Philip Van Heusen for Readers' Favorite
Guns and gun ownership are hotly contested issues. Beverly A. Brewster enters the fray with Guns Hurt: Joe Was Shot with a Gun. In this children’s picture book, Beverly shows the danger of guns and children playing with guns. Johnny goes to the mall with his mother and enjoys playing there. Joe joins his friends, and a gun falls out of his backpack. The boys play with the gun and then get into a tussle with Joe, who is trying to regain his gun. In the fight, the gun accidentally goes off, and Joe is shot. The police and EMTs come and end up taking Joe to the hospital. As Johnny and his mother leave the mall, Johnny states that he will never touch a gun because “guns hurt.” This book comes down solidly on the side that the inability to safely secure guns and keep them out of the reach of children is the problem. Parts of the story may be too intense for younger children, so be with your child when they read the story.
Beverly A. Brewster’s Guns Hurt: Joe Was Shot with a Gun will help your child think through the irresponsible use of guns. When children’s playtime includes a gun, life can turn dangerous in a second. This well-written book is richly illustrated and will keep your child’s attention. I suggest discussing the issues presented in this book, including how the boy may have gotten the gun—it should be kept in a locked gun safe—and why better supervision of children is needed. A children’s book is not the place to argue the case of right and wrong in gun ownership, so Beverly does not address this issue directly. The way the book is written opens the door for discussions on many issues surrounding guns and these can be led in any direction the parent favors.
