With politicians now picking sides for the inevitable inclusion of vaccinations as a debate topic this coming election, the anti-vaccination movement is seeing a lot attention lately. Not to mention Disneyland being turned in a breeding ground for disease.
Not to worry, though, because the measles is just a wonderful thing to have these days. That’s the message being sent out by Stephanie Messenger’s children’s book titled Melanie’s Marvelous Measles. Here’s the book’s description on Amazon:
Melanie’s Marvelous Measles is a book written by Stephanie Messenger who has devoted her life to educating people about vaccines and natural health choices. This book takes children on a journey to learn about vaccinations for childhood illnesses, like measles and chicken pox.
Salon added a bit more to the tale, also including how the backlash against the story has led Amazon to add a disclaimer on the book’s sales page:
With the book, Messenger endeavored to “educate children on the benefits of having measles and how you can heal from them naturally and successfully.” The book’s illustrated cover features a girl frolicking in a meadow with her stomach exposed, revealing a number of measles pocks all over her body. The whole thing is truly grotesque — so much so, that Amazon has put a disclaimer on the book’s description, noting that it is “provided by the publisher/author of this title and presents the subjective opinions of the publisher/author, which may not be substantiated.”
It’s only 40 pages, but that’s enough to get the proper information to children. I know I was dying to read about diseases when I was a toddler, so this is perfect. The problem is not everybody is a fan of the book and they’ve taken some action to drag it through the mud, mostly in the Amazon reviews.
There’s a hodgepodge of supporters and informative critics thrown into the mess, but the real stars are the trolls. They’re effortlessly skewering this book with reviews that make a mockery of whatever message is trying to be conveyed. Here are some of the better examples:
This is just a wonderful book in every way. I wouldn’t have thought that anything could be as beautiful and heart-warming as “Peter’s Pancreatic Cancer” or “Andy’s Amazing Auto Accident” but I’m now convinced. Up there with “Smoke Yourself Thin” among my favorite books of all time.
I’m into home surgery, trepination and experimentation with various household chemicals. This book has opened a door I hadn’t thought about yet, having fun with various diseases. Lately I’ve been getting bored with removing fingers and pieces of skin, muscle and bone.
Not only does the book read supremely well, but the pages of the book are happily impregnated with the measles virus, so everyone can share in the marvelous adventures. I’m a big fan of Melanie, God rest her soul!
As a carpenter who specializes in itty bitty coffins I can’t say enough good things about this book, my customer base has been growing at an epidemic rate!
It continues on like that for quite a while, so I suggest giving it a look. The best are the ones that attempt to show the other books you can purchase in the series. Everything from Andy’s Amazing AIDS to Tyrone’s Titillating Typhus. Get to cracking, Miss, you’ve got some books to churn out. The people have spoken.
(Via Salon / Freak Out Nation / Amazon)