There are times when I think I’ve seen it all. I think I’ve seen the bottom of the barrel when it comes to stupidity. I literally believe it can’t get any worse. However, I then find things like this.
Yep! It’s an anti-vaccination children’s book. That’s right. Someone took the time to write a book to try and convince children that the measles are “marvelous.” The book is described as:
“…takes children on a journey to learn about the ineffectiveness of vaccinations and to know they don’t have to be scared of childhood illnesses like measles and chickenpox.”
Hear that explosion? That was my brain finally giving up and exploding.
The author of Melanie’s Marvelous Measles, Stephanie Messenger, is an Australian anti-vaccine supporter who wrote and self published (because who in their right mind would publish this) the book in 2012. On the Amazon page for the book, Messenger included her own review:
“Melanie’s Marvelous Measles was written to educate children on the benefits of having measles and how you can heal from them naturally and successfully. Often today, we are being bombarded with messages from vested interests to fear all diseases in order for someone to sell some potion or vaccine, when, in fact, history shows that in industrialized countries, these diseases are quite benign and, according to natural health sources, beneficial to the body.”
Nevermind that measles had a death rate of around 30% in the 1920s. Nevermind that complications of measles can include pneumonia, otitis media (ear infection), brain inflammation (15% fatality rate), and corneal ulceration, blindness. Nevermind that those complications occur in 30% of measles cases. Oh yea, it’s way worse for adults who get it too. Nope. Nevermind all that. Measles are friggin’ marvelous!
Salon made an interesting observation when describing the cover of the book.
“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.”
Funny enough, Salon also noted that Amazon put a disclaimer on the book.
Amazon customers turned to Amazon’s comment system and have pretty much ripped the book and author apart. Some range from serious to pretty hilarious.
“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!” – 5 star rating.
“My infant daughter went blind after contracting measles from an unvaccinated child, and yet there’s no braille version of this wonderful book for me to give her someday to explain to her how awesome the disease that took her sight away is.” – 1-star rating.
“Finally! A children’s book with an agenda I can get behind! I always thought I loved kids until I actually had one of my own and boy was I wrong! I researched anything and everything I could possibly do to get rid of the little brat, but I didn’t want to be arrested for murder and childhood cancer is just too darn unpredictable. Fortunately, I stumbled upon ‘Melanie’s Marvelous Measles,’ and learned that there is a huge community of people who hate children as much as me! Thanks to Melanie, I was able to ignore my pediatrician’s recommendations to vaccinate my daughter before our trip to Disney World, all while acting like I want what is best for my child.
To be fair, I did manage to find a serious and positive review.
“Such a fantastic book. Education is the key to informed decision making. It is so important to be a critical thinker rather than a scared sheep letting others decide your fate for you. This book teaches your child exactly that.”
According to Salon, the title of the book is very similar to Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvelous Medicine. Problem is Dahl’s daughter died from measles as a child, and he was a major supporter of vaccinations.
With a total 2-star rating, this book can be yours for either $11.74 (physical) or $3.03 (Kindle)today! I, however, will just light my money on fire instead of wasting it on this book.
