If Anything Happens I Love You

Unimaginable loss yields to the power of human connection in this simple, moving story from the filmmakers of the eponymous Oscar-winning film.

An elegy on grief.

“Heavy pain exquisitely rendered.” Kirkus Starred Review

by Will McCormack (Author), Michael Govier (Author), Youngran Nho (Illustrator)

Based on the Academy Award-winning animated short by the same name, If Anything Happens I Love You is a young adult graphic novel that follows two parents as they reckon with the loss of their young daughter, Rose, in a school shooting. Readers follow Rose from “above” as she watches her parents slowly break down under the weight and pain of their loss. Throughout the novel, Rose’s soul seeks to help her parents reconnect. We learn who Rose was and how much life she lived in her short time.  By incorporating a wide range of characters, her boyfriend, teacher, and her cat, Rose is able to introduce healing into the lives of the people she left behind. If Anything Happens I Love You may be a story about loss, but in it we see ourselves—in the grief, the pain, and, most importantly, in the fight toward human connection, love, and acceptance.

12 years and up
Paperback | 64 pages | Andrews McMeel Publishing | September 27, 2022

Will McCormack is an author, screenwriter, producer, director, and actor.
Michael Govier is an author, director, screenwriter, actor, playwright, and producer.
They recently won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU which he co-wrote and co-directed with Michael Govier—a film about parents grieving the death of their daughter killed in a school shooting. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.

Growing up in S. Korea, Youngran Nho moved to Los Angeles, CA to study at CalArts from 2014-2017. Since graduating, she has been working as a freelance animator / director. Her works include the “LayBack” animated music video featuring the artists Lo/Hi and a short animated film based on Ian Urbina’s journal “The Outlaw Ocean”. Her recent work involved her working as the animation director for the short film IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU. Currently, Youngran is currently storyboarding on the upcoming animated feature starring Jamie Foxx called “Groove”.