What If…? by Anthony Browne

My four year-old freaking loves this book and I honestly have no idea why. Well, I get it, intellectually, I just find it odd that our tastes should differ so abruptly here when we’re usually quite in sync with our likes and dislikes. Anyway, What If…? tells the relatable tale of experiencing mild social anxiety on the way to a party (and on the part of the mom after dropping her kid off at said party.) It’s the illustrations that I found somewhat off-putting. Don’t get me wrong: they’re beautifully done, but in an absurdist, almost hallucinatory manner that illustrates the kid’s specific worries and, frankly, made me a little uncomfortable. But hey, Jms thinks they’re perfect for the book and wants me to read it with him over and over again, so job done.