Kids Get a Little Help Staying In The Lines on Firearm Safety

There are a few things kids love universally. Legos. Play-Doh. Wii Sports. And coloring books.

So why not use one of these kid-friendly tools to help teach children gun safety? One woman has done just that.

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Freelance graphic designer Sara Westman decided to create something she wanted: a firearm coloring book. Drawing on her experience as a firearm illustrator, she set about making a coloring book featuring guns that would both entertain and educate. Westman, who’s based in Boise, Idaho, and spends her weekends hiking and hunting, bills the book as: “Created for big kids, appropriate for all ages.” In response, the firearm industry has embraced her with open arms. As for the market, it looks to be leaning in her favor: coloring books are bestsellers.

“The firearm coloring book has been something that I’ve wanted to do for nearly two years. I created something that I wanted to exist: a high-detail, visually-correct firearm coloring book,” says Westman, who partnered with Modern American Shooting & Firearms on the creation of the book in an effort “to give people — especially parents — a reliable resource for firearm safety and education. [The book includes] the four rules of firearm safety.”

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Meant to be a conversation starter, Westman said firearm safety and education, which is near and dear to her heart, is promoted throughout the coloring book. She says the plan is to order 1,000 coloring books for the first run, but anticipates ordering more books as soon as the first run begins shipping.

On the response from the community, Westman said, “The industry as a whole is very eager to see more women develop a genuine interest in firearms and training.”

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