PRESS RELEASE: Dad Creates Unbeliev-a-bull Crowdfunding Campaign & Hopes to Deliver 500 Joke Books to Children in Hospital
Brand new kids book, Laugh-a-bull, set to provide groundbreaking
laughs and some much needed fun for families in 2020
– Melbourne-based Dad writes new joke book after being stood down from work in COVID lockdown
– Goal now to provide 500 books to the Starlight Children’s Foundation
– Currently crowdfunding on Australian platform Pozible and seeking corporate support
WHITTLESEA, VICTORIA, AUGUST 4 2020 — Laugh-a-bull is a brand new joke book set to deliver groundbreaking laughs to families struggling to find some fun in an otherwise bleak 2020. The book is the brainchild of Daniel Stones, a Dad who created and wrote the new jokes after being stood down from his job as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With its rapidly growing fan-base, Laugh-a-bull is hoping to shatter the fake laughs and forced smiles that accompany almost every bungled punchline and every lame chicken crossing the road or knock-knock joke ever told. A crowdfunding campaign is currently underway on the Australian platform Pozible and Stones has also set an ambitious goal of gifting 500 copies of the book to the Starlight Children’s Foundation of Australia.
“Not everyone has the same opportunity to create “fun” memories”, Stones said of his partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, “It’s easy to forget there are sick children who basically live in hospitals. For those kids and their families, life is very different. What remains the same though, is the enjoyment of having a good laugh together. The Starlight Children’s Foundation believes that “fun fights fear and wins every time”…and so do I.”
Central to each Laugh-a-bull joke is the consistent setup and a one-word punchline; for example, “What do you call a bull who likes to go scuba-diving?”. The answer is “submers-i-bull”. As with every “bull” joke, the opening starts with “what do you call a bull who…?”, and the punchline is made up of a single word ending in “ble”.
“Every kid knows their parents aren’t funny,” jokes Stones, “but here’s the thing, deep down a lot of parents don’t find their kids all that funny either. The real problem is that there’s no middle ground with the jokes we’ve been telling each other. It’s either, “Why did the chicken cross the road” or “There’s a bear and rabbit taking a
The appeal of Laugh-a-bull jokes lies in their simplicity. “Bull” jokes can be crafted, understood and remembered almost instantly, three elements missing from most adult/child joke telling adventures. Another unexpected benefit of the book lies in its potential to educate. “The eagerness of children to tell their own “bull” jokes helps to rapidly grow their vocabulary”, says Stones. This is something he stumbled on when testing out jokes with his young nieces. “Within a week they were texting me “bull” jokes using all kinds of new words – and they were using them correctly!” said Stones.
The crowdfunding campaign is set to run until August 17th, and is currently over 30% funded, with almost 100 books already pledged by would-be backers as gifts to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. The challenge now is to build on the initial momentum and secure the support of businesses and corporates.
Stones is well aware of the enormous challenge in seeking funds to help tell jokes in the current economic climate, but remains optimistic. “Right now, a lot of families are unable to do basic things that have brought them happiness and joy in the past. For many kids in hospital, that’s a reality they live with every day. And while there is a lot that we can’t do right now, we should all aim to do what we can. That’s how Laugh-a-bull started.”
About Laugh-a-bull Crowdfunding Campaign
The Laugh-a-bull crowdfunding campaign is being hosted on Pozible, the Australian based crowdfunding platform. Funds will cover publishing and distribution costs, as well as illustration. Reward levels start at $55 for the Buy One, Give One program to support the Starlight Children’s Foundation. For more information about Laugh-a-bull, visit http://laughabull.com or contact Daniel Stones directly on 0429 593 266 or [email protected].
