Press Release Uber-Fun: When You Can’t Tell if There’s a Tongue Stuck in that Cheek or Not

When Gregory K. emailed me saying that he too had received this press release in his email, I knew it was time to act.  I cannot for the life of me figure out if this is a real book, a real book that’s a joke, or a joke that’s not a real book at all.  I suppose I could order the book and find out, though.  Observe:

Children’s book: The Bomb that Followed Me Home
By Cevin Soling
 
NEW YORK, Jan 5, 2009 – Rumpleville Books is pleased to release the third book in Cevin Soling’s series of "fairly twisted fairy tales."
 
The Bomb That Followed Me Home is the story of a boy, who is followed home by a stray bomb. The bomb follows him everywhere–by trees and landfills, and even the yard of a cantankerous neighbor who yells at the boy for running on their lawn. This same neighbor planted hedges three feet into the boy’s yard.
 
The boy’s parents are resistant to keep the bomb, "who will polish it and change its fuse?" But still the young boy wants to keep it, and even has given the bomb a name-Rusty. The boy’s father tries to find the bomb’s original owner, calling all kinds of authorities like the Department of Defense. He also reaches out to the Weathermen. No one is missing a bomb. Finally the bomb is "given" to the cantankerous neighbors… And then his parents take down the hedges.
 
The Bomb That Followed Me Home has received its share of acclaim. Midwest Book Reviews cites the book, as "surreal .The whimsical, modern-art style of the illustrations are a perfect fit for the loopy mood of this delightful story." Flash News cites the book as author Cevin Soling’s "vengeance" against "people who are mean and psychotic." FOREWORD magazine gave The Bomb high acclaim, writing that Cevin Soling and illustrator Steve Kille "have the power to make readers laugh, and then think. Then scoff at the futility of thinking."
 
The Rumpleville series are contemporary fables that are replete with social commentary. The fairy tale format highlights the perverse morality of contemporary culture and foiled promises of "happily ever after" endings. Like Animal Farm, the simplicity of plot also draws attention to the political intentions of the work.
 
About the book:
The Bomb That Followed Me Home by Cevin Soling
ISBN: 978-0976777120
Publisher: Monk Media
Date of publish: Nov 7, 2007 (first edition)
Pages: 40
S.R.P.: $14.95
 
About the author:
In addition to creating his "Fairly Twisted Fairy Tales" for Rumpleville books, author Cevin Soling has produced award-winning documentaries including A HOLE IN THE HEAD, which has broadcast on both Discovery and the Learning Channel His latest documentary, THE WAR ON KIDS will be shown at film festivals in 2009 and 2010. He’s produced animated shorts, and the independent feature, RELAX IT’S JUST SEX which has shown on HBO and Showtime. He’s an active musician, leading bands including his current group The Love Kills Theory. He is a member of the high IQ society Mensa, a candidate for a Masters degree in Philosophy at Harvard, and awaiting an appointment for a diplomatic post with the U.S. Foreign Service.

Other released books in the series are:
The Jolly Elf, the cautionary tale of a "psycho jolly merry killer elf," who likes to sing, especially at 4:00 in the morning, and who, incidentally, collects shrunken heads.
 
The Disciples of Trotsky, "It’s revolution time in the magical merry world of Rumpleville, but can two tragic ring toss victims rally the spirit of the land and overthrow the bourgeoisie townsfolk?"

Note: Review copies of this book are available by replying to this e-mail.
Please include your mailing address.

They definitely had me going until "The Jolly Elf" part.  Now I’m not so sure. . . .

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