Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Blurb:

“I bought the milk,” said my father. “I walked out of the corner shop, and heard a noise like this: t h u m m t h u m m. I looked up and saw a huge silver disc hovering in the air above Marshall Road.”

“Hullo,” I said to myself. “That’s not something you see every day. And then something odd happened.”

Find out just how odd things get in this hilarious New York Times bestselling story of time travel and breakfast cereal, expertly told by Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Skottie Young.

My thoughts:

This is a story about a family where the mother has left on a business trip and has delegated all the household responsibilities to her husband. Their two children are home alone with dad, and there isn’t any milk left for their cereal. Dad knows it’s no big deal; he can simply walk down the road and grab some milk from the store. As the children wait alongside their Toastios cereal, they wonder what could be taking their dad so long to get back. When he finally returns, he recounts an adventurous story of aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, time travel, and pretty much anything you can imagine. Will his story be convincing enough for the children? 

This is such a charming story. Although the book is recommended for ages 7-9, this is a story for all ages and one that parents can enjoy reading right along with their kids. Younger readers will appreciate the neat time travel element and amusing characters like Professor Steg. There are references to well-known literature woven into the story, which is appealing for adults. To me, what makes the book so fun is the juxtaposition of the dad’s ridiculous story and the reality as the kids begin to question how legit these events even are. The dad’s nonsensical story is hilarious, while the family story is real and relatable. My five children have a socialite for a dad, and we’ve found ourselves in this situation many times before! 

The version I read of this book is illustrated by Skottie Young. I plan to pick up the version with illustrations by Chris Riddell because he’s one of our favorite illustrators. I’ve read that the perspective is switched up in that version as well.

Overall, this is a non-stop, fast-paced, crazy adventure that’s fun to get lost in. If you’re a fan of Neil Gaiman or even Roald Dahl stories, give this one a try. 

4****

---

Find this book on Amazon and Goodreads:

• Publisher : HarperCollins; Illustrated edition (September 17, 2013)
• Language : English
• Hardcover : 128 pages
• ISBN-10 : 0062224077
• ISBN-13 : 978-0062224071
• Reading age : 8 – 12 years
• Grade level : 3 – 7

---

Have you read this book? What are some of your favorite Neil Gaiman titles? Let’s chat in the comment section!

❤️ Mischenko