shallow-element-equals is a tiny utility that provides a customized shallow‑equality check for React (and React Native) props. It treats `children` specially—comparing the child elements by their type and props rather than by reference—so it can be used inside `shouldComponentUpdate` to speed up “pure” components that accept JSX children. The library is aimed at advanced React developers who understand the risks of assuming child components are pure and need a more aggressive prop‑change detection.