Do you want to play with my balls?
That’s the title of a so called children’s book that has (unsurprisingly) caused a lot of outrage from worried parents in regards to whether or not it is appropriate reading for children.
MediaTakeout posted a video to their Facebook page showing a woman reading the book as though she were sitting in front of a class full of children. It has been shared over 215,000 times and viewed over 10 million times since it was posted on the social media page in July this year.
So it’s safe to say it’s getting a lot of attention.
Mediatakeout posted the video with this caption, "DISTURBING VIDEO: This Is A REAL Children's Book . . . Being Sold To CHILDREN . . . Parents PLEASE Make Sure That Your SCHOOL Isn't Using This BOOK!! (Wow . . . They Are Really Trying To INDOCTRINATE Kids)."
There have been thousands of comments on the post - some people agreeing with the disgusted comment and others telling people they need to lighten up.
"I think it's a sick book and sorry I disagree with people saying it's a gag book and to get over it... adult humour using kids as the subject is just down out sick! There are so many sexually abused children out there and young pregnancies that there is nothing funny about that book... adults should have boundaries too!" One commenter wrote on the Facebook page.
Another commenter piped up in defence of the book saying, "Dude. Kids say sh*t like this all of the time. Just yesterday my 3-year-old asked his neighbour friend if she wanted to play with his balls. Her mum and I chuckled at the double meaning but we understood that his intentions were innocent. He wanted to share his footballs with her. Unless you're teaching your kids what a ball sack is. This isn't that bad."
Many commenters also believe that children wouldn't understand the sexual innuendo in the book anyway. Yet others are saying it isn't actually a kids book at all.
The makers of the book Bum Bum Books say the book is, "A perfect gift for parents, fun loving adults, friends, and even young children (though it’s probably best that they’re young enough to not understand the meaning of a pun)."
The book's site has also written a disclaimer with its promotion of the 'pun-filled' book."*Guarantee applies if you have a sense of humour. If you do not have a sense of humour, life must be a bit dreary for you and we’re sorry about that. Either way, we hope you buy the book. Smiles," they wrote.
"[It] is a slightly inappropriate but hilarious book made for reading aloud, and laughing out loud," Bum Bum Books wrote on their website. It's now available to purchase online through Amazon.
Watch the video and decide for yourself.
Would you let a child read this book?