Waterloo Author Transforms Pandemic-Era Chalkboard Jokes Into Book Dedicated to Lexington Neighbourhood
New humour book celebrates the community spirit that kept neighbours smiling through challenging times
WATERLOO, ON—When the COVID-19 pandemic sent everyone indoors in March 2020, local author Mark Leslie noticed something: a lot more people walking through his Lexington neighbourhood, seeking fresh air, exercise, and a brief escape from isolation. Leslie wanted to do something to help.
What began as a simple chalkboard sign outside his Waterloo home has now become a book: I Think It’s a Sign That the Pun Also Rises, a collection of the dad jokes, puns, and groaners that have delighted his neighbours for more than four years.
A Neighbourhood Tradition Is Born
Leslie’s efforts started with a sign inspired by Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks sketch, inviting passersby to try their own silly walks. From his home office window facing the street, he watched families pause to read the sign, then attempt their own comedic strolls down the sidewalk.
“It was particularly lovely to see a parent or grandparent out with a kid explaining the sign to them, doing their own silly walk, and then encouraging the young person to give it a try,” Leslie recalls. “That was delightful. But I wanted to do more.”
His partner, Liz, crafted a chalkboard using chalk paint, and Leslie began writing a new joke each day. The tradition quickly became a neighbourhood fixture, with locals stopping daily to see what groan-worthy pun awaited them.
A Community Connection
The book’s dedication speaks directly to this local connection: “This one is also for all the folks in the Lexington neighbourhood of Waterloo, Ontario. Thanks for taking the time to read, laugh at, and comment on my silly chalk-board puns and dad jokes over the years. Your kind words and gestures continually inspire me to keep sharing.”
Leslie notes that the neighbourhood response helped shape both the content and his commitment to the daily tradition. With an elementary school nearby, he kept the humour family-friendly, ensuring that children walking past with their parents could enjoy the jokes alongside adults.
The ‘Weird House’ on the Block
The chalkboard isn’t the only thing that makes Leslie’s home distinctive. A skeleton named Barnaby Bones—originally a prop from Leslie’s book events as a horror and true ghost story author—sits on a handmade bench in the front yard year-round, changing costumes with the seasons: a Santa hat for Christmas, bunny ears for Easter, and sunglasses in summer.
Each Halloween, Leslie and his partner create elaborate themed displays featuring nearly a dozen skeletons. Past themes have included Jaws, Friday the 13th, a carnival called “Boney Island,” and “Bonestock”—their playful tribute to Woodstock.
About the Book
I Think It’s a Sign That the Pun Also Rises collects the jokes that appeared on Leslie’s neighbourhood chalkboard along with others that never made it to the sign. The book is organized into sections including “Meta Jokes and Self-Referential Humour,” “Shower Thoughts,” “A Silly Joke Walks Into a Bar,” “Halloween,” and “Music,” among others.
The book is published by Stark Publishing, based in Waterloo, Ontario, and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Book Details
Title: I Think It’s a Sign That the Pun Also Rises: Dad Jokes, Puns, Quips, Laughs, Groaners, and Playful Pensive Ponderings
Author: Mark Leslie
Publisher: Stark Publishing (Waterloo, Ontario)
Publication Date: October 2025
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-998331-28-4
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-998331-26-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-998331-27-7
About Mark Leslie
Mark Leslie Lefebvre (who writes as Mark Leslie) has been working in the book industry since 1992, the same year his first short story was published. He has authored more than forty books spanning true ghost stories, urban fantasy, horror, humour, and movie trivia guides. His paranormal non-fiction includes regional titles such as Haunted Hamilton, Spooky Sudbury, and Creepy Capital. He can be found online at http://www.markleslie.ca.
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Review copies, interviews, and high-resolution images available upon request.
For more information, visit www.markleslie.ca or books2read.com/ithinkitsasign
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