The book, Melanie’s Marvelous Measles, was as Messenger puts it on her website, written in order 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. Having raised three children vaccine-free and childhood disease-free, I have experienced many times when my children’s vaccinated peers succumb to the childhood diseases they were vaccinated against.
Clearly it was never going to appeal to all – especially those from a scientific, medical or sensible background.
The return of childhood diseases such as measles has become a cause for concern in the US with President Barack Obama recently commenting that,
“We should be able to get back to the point where measles effectively is not existing in this country,’ the President said.
“We’ve studied this a lot. And the fact is that a major success of our civilization is our ability to prevent disease,” he continued, while also pointing out that both of his daughters had been vaccinated. .
So far Melanie’s Marvelous Measles has received almost 1000 reviews on Amazon since it was published in 2013. Many of them as hilarious, scathing, angry and rather bemused as you might expect of a book such as this. We’ve compiled a list of our favourite reviews below.
But before we get to those, let’s briefly meditate on the book’s title – apparently a parody of Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvelous Medicine, a 1988 please for parents to vaccinate their children against the measles, 26 years after losing his daughter Olivia to the disease.
“I was unable to do that for Olivia in 1962 because in those days, a reliable measles vaccine had not been discovered,” he wrote. “Today, a good and safe vaccine is available to every family, and all you have to do is to ask your doctor to administer it.”
They’re fighting words.
Amazon reviews of Melanie’s Marvelous Measles
The character of Measles was poorly developed, and completely
The character of Measles was poorly developed, and completely unbelievable. No depth, no dispassionate evil, no indication that Measles murdered 145,700 worldwide in 2013…. they were just happy-go-lucky spots, without a care, full of joie-de-vivre. Totally broke the immersion for me.
No Braille version?
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.
I’m so happy I bought a hard copy version of this book
I’m so happy I bought a hard copy version of this book. If I bought an audiobook, I never would have gotten my money’s worth as both of my daughters went deaf from Measles Encephalitis. They now have a great book and a lifelong disability to remind them how much I truly love them!
Right up there with “Smoke Yourself Thin”!
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 absolutely love this book
I absolutely love this book! Melanie is such a fun, bright character that my daughter really identified with. I read this book to my daughter every night. When my daughter got the measles she was actually happy, saying she was just like Melanie. She was excited about doing everything Melanie did in the book. Sadly my daughter passed away recently. But I am so thankful I had this book to share with her before she left us. She gave the measles to my wife before she died. My wife and I would read this book as well and it brought us so much joy. My wife passed away as well but I have some great memories with this book. My wife gave the measles to our dog before she died, I honestly didn’t even know that was possible. I read this book to him but I’m not sure he understood it at all. He died too but I think he enjoyed the book. My dog gave the measles to my goldfish, I was going to read the book to the goldfish but the I remembered its a stupid goldfish so I flushed it down the toilet. Now I have the measles. I am laying in a hospital bed but it’s ok because guess what I have? That’s right, Melanie’s Marvelous Measles! I have a pretty high fever so I can read it so well. That’s OK, the great Chtulhu visits me and reads it to me. ALL HAIL CTHULHU! I’m feeling really sleepy so I’m just going to finish this review later.
Hello, this is a nurse at Oak Hill Hospital. I found this review typed up on Mr. McLoones IPad. He sadly passed away less than an hour ago, he was clutching this book in his hands when he died. Please, get your children vaccinated. Thank you!
I can’t wait for the Sequels! Eddie’s Exuberant Ebola …
I can’t wait for the Sequels!
Eddie’s Exuberant Ebola
Arthur Digby Sellers’ Popular Polio
Colon’s Cantankerous Cholera!
Bart’s Bitchin’ Black Plaque!
Who Wants Dysentery!
Ronnie’s Rubella!
Gertie’s Glamorous German Measles!
