The Milk, Fortunately

I wanted to love this book! I love Neil Gaiman & was eager to pre-order this childrens book so I could introduce him to my daughter. Whilst reading this to my daughter & I kept promising that it would get better - it was a disappointment for us both.

Neil Gaiman’s “Fortunately, the Milk” is as charming as it sounds. A story to delight even the most lactose intolerant. Read it with your morning breakfast, your coffee or tea; this book will surely please. A wonderful romp full of whimsy, time-travel, dairy and numerous globulous aliens. If you haven’t read any of Neil Gaiman’s works here is a great place to start. It’s good for all ages. Read it with a glass of milk! A book fortified to get you through your day!

If you like Doctor Who, Back to the Future, Monty Python, Neil Gaiman, laughing, reading good books, or dairy, than I suggest reading “Fortunately the milk”. If you don’t like at least one of these things, well, then I suggest consulting a physician immediately.

Neil Gaiman’s “Fortunately, the Milk” is as charming as it sounds. A story to delight even the most lactose intolerant. Read it with your morning breakfast, your coffee or tea; this book will surely please. A wonderful romp full of whimsy, time-travel, dairy and numerous globulous aliens. If you haven’t read any of Neil Gaiman’s works here is a great place to start. It’s good for all ages. Read it with a glass of milk! A book fortified to get you through your day!

If you like Doctor Who, Back to the Future, Monty Python, Neil Gaiman, laughing, reading good books, or dairy, than I suggest reading “Fortunately the milk”. If you don’t like at least one of these things, well, then I suggest consulting a physician immediately.

Great story. Very imaginative, funny and whimsical. I read it to my 5 1/2 year old son and he loved it. The ink drawings throughout the book just add to the enjoyment level of the story. Highly recommended.

This was a Battle of the Books book so I wanted to check it out. It was'nt very long and the plot was not composed very well. Some people might say that it is very silly but I think it's not at all. I think it was the title that perplexed me because they went everywhere like the sun and then they go back and the milk is there which was only for cereal! I liked the drawings so that's why I added one star to this, otherwise you
shouldnt read this book at all.

The story and illustrations are wonderful! (I dare you to not hear Neil Gaiman doing the voice over in your head!). The size of the book was a bit smaller than I anticipated. Not that that will stop me from sharing with any child who will sit still long enough.

I picked this book because the store had it on its list of books for 9-12 year olds. My daughter is 9 and she finished the book in 45 minutes. I would say its more for 5-7 year olds, it has a lot of pictures and is a low level reader. Good book just below a 9 year old level.

Only Neil Gaiman could delight two polar-opposite readerships by releasing one of the most buzzed-about adult books of the year (`The Ocean at the End of the Lane' - so good I still can't bring myself to write a review because THERE ARE NO WORDS!) and then a few months later a lavishly wonderful children's book. It's not surprising, really, because Neil Gaiman wrote both `American Gods' and `Coraline' - cementing himself as a fine storyteller for all ages.

`Fortunately, the Milk. . . ' being Gaiman's children's foray, his Bloomsbury publishers know they can be a bit more blunt and honest with their younger readers. Hence this very apt author billing of 'Ridiculously Bestselling Author'

The book is about a father left in charge of his two children when their mum goes off to a conference. But the first disaster strikes at breakfast-time, when they run out of milk. So it's up to dad to trot down to the corner store for a refill . . . but he takes ages and ages, and it's only upon his return that the children discover what took him so long.

The whole book is a bit tongue-in-cheek, and there's something here for the intended 8-12 readership, as well as the parents for whom this will be bedtime reading. For the kids there are; Dwarves, wumpires, a stegosaurus, aliens, pirates, ponies, a volcano god . . . then for the adult readers there are some references to The Usual Suspects, a little Doctor Who-esque time travel conundrum and some making fun of Twilight. It's all a bit brilliant really. Even more so because Chris Riddell's illustrations have made the dad look like Neil Gaiman himself - which makes me think back on an old blog post Gaiman once posted about where he gets his ideas from.

Interestingly, there are two versions of Gaiman's latest children's book. There's the US and Canada book illustrated by Skottie Young - this version does not include a Neil-Father lookalike, and is perhaps the slightly more conventional children's book. Chris Riddell's illustrated book for Australia and UK includes the ellipsis in the title `. . . ' and the shiniest cover you ever did see. There's also some symmetry in Riddell lending his drawings to `Fortunately', because Riddell also illustrated the anniversary edition of `Coraline'.

Either way, Gaiman's extravagant story is a lot of fun with moments of quiet brilliance. I don't know about anyone else, but when I read the blurb for `Fortunately, the Milk. . . ' about a father who takes a jolly good time to get home to his children with their promised milk, I instantly thought of the old cliché prevalent in many stories; that a father went to buy a packet of cigarettes one morning and never came home. The basis being that father's don't really hold up so well in many stories; so I love that Gaiman took that old cliché and made a minor hero of this father and detailed his grand adventures to get home to his kids.

Oh! And never forget, "where there is milk, there is hope."

Honestly, I was underwhelmed.

I have heard so much hype about Neil Gaiman that I was sure I was going to love this book. I picked it up for my five-year-old daughter and we began reading it together. About mid-way through, neither of us were feeling very satisfied, and we chose another book instead. She hasn't asked for this one since.

It's not that I think Gaiman is a terrible author or anything like that, but I do think this book missed the mark. It's too long for a short story and too short for a chapter book, and most of the content came off as being silly for the sake of silliness, almost overly so and certainly (to my daughter and me, at least) not in a charming way. There was a lot of dawdling on points that really made no difference in the scope of the narrative (the length of the stegosaurus' introductory speech, for example, or the kids milling about waiting for their father to return, both of which were excellent examples of stages of the book where there were words, but nothing was happening), and my daughter sighed a lot when these points were reached. Granted, she's five, and I suppose the target demographic here is 9 - 12, but I couldn't imagine reading this at age 9 - 12. I would have thought it more suitable for younger children, and yet both the length of the book and its content don't really fit there, either.

I cannot stress enough that I wanted to enjoy this book, and that I wanted my daughter to enjoy it. I wouldn't have purchased it if I didn't. I don't think this one instance of coming up short speaks to Gaiman's success as an author, nor do I want to vilify him for it. I simply dislike the book's style (except the artwork), prose, and the direction in which he chose to take the premise, which honestly seemed like a really great one. I'm glad to see it's brought joy to so many others, but I personally could not recommend it.

This was okay, but it was sort of a sarcastic take on a kids' book that I don't think would be interesting to kids and certainly wasn't all that interesting to me. It just sort of missed the mark imo.

This story is totally quirky, but fortunately dad remembered the milk! The pen & ink illustrations throughout the story really add to the fun and make this a great suggestion for those reluctant readers.

I bought this book without knowing anything about it except that it was written by Neil Gaiman. To my surprise it is a children's book! Funny enough I still loved it. I wish I had bought the hardcover version however. The illustrations are fantastic and I don't think the kindle version does them justice at all. You really do miss out on the whole experience that comes from reading your little one a bedtime story where the pages actually turn. Overall,though, another win for my favorite author!

**Children's Sci-Fi/Fantasy**

After I finished reading this with my son before bed last night, he declared it was the best book he's ever read. He's a bit of a bookworm (like his mother) so this was a fairly weighty statement. I too was impressed with this sci-fi children's fantasy. It begins with the mother going away to a work conference and leaving the father to take care of the children alone for a few days. They run out of milk and the father runs out to buy some more. However, he takes longer than the children expect, and upon his return tells them of his wild adventures on his way back. I laughed out loud in several places. The drawings were a great addition.

One of my favorite exchanges:
"I think that there should have been some nice wumpires," said my sister, wistfully. "Nice, handsome, misunderstood wumpires."

"There were not," said my father.

~FIVE STARS~

Ahoy there me mateys! While scrolling through me list of audio choices, I realized that ’twas no choice at all. Neil Gaiman’s shiny title stood out. I have a wee bit of an obsession and so I gleefully began the tale. When suddenly . . .

I realized that Mr. Neil Gaiman hisself was narratin’. The intensity of the experience escalated. I had no inkling until that exact moment that he was goin’ to read me his own story. Blimey!

The story. The narration. The experience. Absolutely perfect. Hearin’ about a dad’s trip to the store to get milk has never been so fun. In fact one of me crew actually dared to ask what me satisfied smirking grin be about. I just continued to grin like a cheshire cat. Heave Ho and get yerself a copy!

Side note: I will certainly give a gander to this story again. I am slightly curious about both the English and American illustrations. But I likely will just listen to it again. So perfect.

I read this story in one sitting with my sister and it was amazing. I can't wait until I have my own precious little babies to read them this hilarious fantasy story. The illustrations were amazing and added so much life to the story. The short book was literally laughing out loud comedy. The dad went on a wild adventure all while trying to get back to his kids for breakfast. I love the way the author was able to create this time travel portal world and have me go oh my gosh I get that! The message was beautiful too because I feel like there isn't anything a parent wouldn't do for their kids including fighting green gobbly things, time travel, duel pirates, trick wumpires (read the book I didn't spell it wrong lol), steal a godly volcano's eye (twice), and save the universe with dinosaurs, and still keep the milk for breakfast safe! I think Gaiman created a fun, witty, and dreamlike world that children will adore and parents will love to read to them. 

This review can be found on my blog Crimson Blogs About Books

One of my favorite children’s books, Fortunately, the Milk tells a tale of a father who gets kidnapped by aliens, travels to the past, gets attacked by pirates, meets a stegosaurus scientist, is almost dinner for vampires, and manages to save the world from impending redecoration doom from aliens, all in the span that it takes to pick up some milk at the corner store!

I am totally in love with this book, the art is gorgeous, the story is funny, and the dad is epic. It really made me think about time travel and the causal loop (paradox). The book is filled with drawings at practically every page, either as a complete illustration or wrapped around the edges of the text (or really the other way around). A lot of the drawings have a very crazy and Tim Burton feel, especially when we’re dumped into the vampire world. I believe they’re done in micron pen, which I completely loved! The text is also pretty simple but they change depending on what’s happening in the story. Exclamations, sounds, and signage all have different fonts and really add to the story.

Confession time -- the only Neil Gaiman book I've read is "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish." I'm fully aware that his usual writing is much darker and weirder than his children's fare, and that both "Goldfish" and "Fortunately, the Milk" are goofy departures from his usual tone. However, that doesn't detract from the fact that both books were lighthearted and goofy romps, perfect for kids and even enjoyable for adults who'll be better able to catch some of the sly references and jokes within their pages. And "Fortunately, the Milk" is a quick but zany read with delightful illustrations that should please both kids and adults.

"Fortunately, the Milk" opens with the mother of a family gone for a convention, leaving Dad to take care of the two daughters. When the family runs out of milk one morning, Dad heads to the corner store to get some more. After an excruciatingly long wait, Dad returns with the milk... and the most insane why-I-was-running-late story you've ever heard. Is Dad's tale of alien abduction, vicious pirates, a time-traveling dinosaur, vengeful volcano gods, colorful talking ponies, and bloodsucking wumpires just another of his goofy jokes, or is there some measure of truth behind the story?

This book is a swift read, without much weight to its story, but I'm perfectly okay with that. This story isn't meant to be serious at all, but a silly flight of fancy, and in that respect it works perfectly. It's amusing and a lot of fun to see just how high Neil Gaiman and the father of the story can ratchet up the weirdness, and the various twists and turns of the story eventually -- and surprisingly -- coalesce into a whole which leads to a satisfying resolution.

Despite being a kid's book, however, this book has plenty of references that adults will probably get -- yes, children will probably find the reference to "My Little Pony," but adults will be more likely to get the references to "Doctor Who" and "Twilight."

The version of the book I read had illustrations by Skottie Young, the artist behind "I Hate Fairyland" and the graphic-novel adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz." His art style is exaggerated and loaded with silly details, but still fun and enjoyable. I dearly wish the book had been in color to capitalize on the artwork, but I understand that such a move would have been pricey.

A lighthearted and silly book, this is still a fun bit of escapism and humor for kids, especially if they enjoyed "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish." I can easily see this book being made into a goofy children's film, or even an animated short.

Gaiman's Fortunately, The Milk is a fun and engaging book that I enthusiastically read with my six year old son.

Gaiman is a master storyteller who weaves a story about a dad that seems to have gotten a little bit lost in picking up some milk for his kids’ breakfast. There are a variety of whimsical adventures and characters that further the twisting plot, and the entire piece culminates in the cast arriving together to save the universe from ultimate ruin.

I have two favorite elements of the book. The first is how Gaiman managed to take something so mundane and weave it into an incredibly imaginative story that the fate of the universe rests on, and I loved the two twists at the end in regards to the protagonist's cynical, modern children and whether they believed his story. The second was the illustrations throughout - they were gorgeous, masterful, and appeared so often that the text to illustration ratio was just the right speed for my kid. As an adult, I appreciated the art and the structure of the narrative.

In many ways, this is the perfect bedtime reading book. My son was enthralled throughout our reading, and I was surprised after we finished when we were at a big family dinner on Easter Sunday and he retold the entirety of the story with vigor and excitement - leading everyone at the table to want to pick up a copy of it themselves. It was a lot of fun reading it with him, and sharing these moments with Gaiman's writing and imagination is always a special occasion for us.

It’s “The Usual Suspects” for kids, but with Gaiman’s humor and imagination. A father goes out to buy a carton of milk for his kids’ cereal. When he comes back after being long delinquent, he’s got a rather extraordinary explanation for why the short run to the corner c-store took so long.

I read in a Gaiman’s new nonfiction collection, “The View from the Cheap Seats,” (due out May 31, 2016) that even he got grief for writing a children’s book in which the lead isn’t a child. But, he’s Neil Gaiman; so they wisely published it anyway. While the book is aimed at the children’s market, there’s enough humor and absurd happenings to keep an adult reading. So the risky choice of protagonist may prove useful. It certainly helps Gaiman’s argument against narrow definitions of children’s versus adult books (also discussed in detail “The View from the Cheap Seats.”)

Apropos of a youth market book, it’s only about 140 pages, but that’s with extensive illustrations (on almost every page, and many are full-page) and large font. Chris Riddell’s black and white drawings match the whimsicality of the text well.

I’d recommend the book for anyone who reads kid’s books (whether they’re a kid or not.)

A gleefully silly, anarchic little tale from the great Neil Gaiman, Fortunately, The Milk had my 8-year-old son in constant giggles from page one all the way until the end, and begging to read it again as soon as we finished it. The idea is simple: a father goes to buy milk, and when he's gone for a long time, his explanation for the delay strains credulity. But that in no way prepares you for the silliness and chaos on display in this book, which somehow involves inventive dinosaurs, volcano gods, time travel, pirates, and so much more. It all ties together in that sort of Alice in Wonderland way where you know what's going on, but trying to trace the logic of it all is a fool's errand. But who cares, when the book is as hilariously funny as it is, the drawings and artwork as charming and great as they are, the wordplay as much fun as it is, and the imagination evident everywhere? Fortunately, The Milk isn't about anything so much as it is the joy of a good story, and if it's all profoundly absurd, who cares as long as it's a good story - and this is definitely a good story, as long as you can give yourself over to the anarchy and enjoy the wonderfully weird, insane ride. And if you like absurd names for common objects, confusing prophecies, time-travel paradoxes, or a testimony about the sacred power of milk, well, you'll find even more to love. And if you've got children who love silliness and a constantly twisting story that's impossible to predict, it's a must buy for you. But don't blame me if you think about stealing it for your own giggling reads later.

Another fabulous Neil Gaiman story! We're huge fans of Gaiman's, and this one book I'm thrilled to have one my shelves. Normally I post all of my children & middle grade reviews on my Mundie Kids book review site, but sometimes I read a book that I have to share on both sites. This is one of those books.

An outrageously hilarious epic adventure from master story teller Neil Gaiman. Fortunately, The Milk is an action packed, humor filled story that readers of all ages will enjoy. It's the kind of story I can see Dr. Who telling his children.....

The tables have turned! Normally as parents we enjoy the outrageous stories are children creatively craft, or maybe we still remember the stories we told our parents. This time, Gaiman has crafted a laugh out loud, imaginative story a father tells his children about his epic adventure he went on to get his children milk for their morning cereal. From space ships, to aliens, pirates, intergalactic dinosaurs, a volcano and more, this is one story I'd recommend adding to your book collections.

This is a story that readers have all ages will love. This is an easy to read, laugh out book that even the most reluctant reader will find themselves enjoying. This is a story that's great for reading out loud, and one even young children can enjoy. Skottie Young's illustrations are the perfect addition to this fantastic read.

This is a book that I loved reading to my kids as much as they loved listening and I would have enjoyed reading it by myself. I really enjoy chapter books, but for 4 and 8 year old boys, having pictures to look at while I am reading gives them something to do. I think they are both visual learners so it can be hard for them just to sit, listen, and imagine what is going on. The art in this book is full of humor and whimsy and even I wanted to stop and study the pictures before turning the page. There is a black and white drawing about every other page, occasionally a full 2 page spread. (I asked my 8 year old what he thought of the book and he said it was great, but liked the pictures so much he wanted to see more! Can't really blame him there, they are fun.) The story is silly, but I suppose I am a silly person because I thoroughly enjoyed it and it makes me wish I could imagine such fantastic adventures. What I really enjoyed, though, is that we didn't know how the story was going to play out or what was going to happen each time we turned the page. My husband commented that from just listening it might be hard for a child to follow the story, but my kids were looking at the pictures along with listening and didn't have any trouble knowing what was going on. My four year old is able to remember what happened in the book more than two weeks later.

Fortunately, the Milk is a fast-paced, silly tale of a father determined to bring milk home to his family - despite alien attacks, time travel, super cute ponies, inept pirates, bloodthirsty piranhas and more. One random, unbelievable thing after another keeps happening, turning Dad's quick jaunt to the corner store for a bit of milk into a major ordeal.

Gaiman deftly keeps the the story moving at a zany pace while managing to shoehorn in many highly wacky non-sequiturs, making each surprising new twist in the story look effortless. As the beleaguered father's story grows more and more unbelievable, his son and daughter begin to grow quite skeptical of his grandiose claims. Kudos to illustrator Skottie Young for subtly including all the (possibly inspirational?) elements from their father's crazy story into the family's typically British home. Great for kids who want a fast, fun read.

Another entertaining children's story by Neil Gaiman. This was a follow up to The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, and features the dad going to the store to buy his children some milk for breakfast. Only, he is gone for way too long and takes ages to come home. When he gets home, the children ask him what took him so long and he embarks on this great story of how he was on his way home but was abducted by aliens and so on and so forth, from aliens to pirates to dinosaurs, he regales the children with his adventures as he tried to make his way back home to them.

And then the end, with the little twist, was a clever little ending to the story.

How is it possible that the same author wrote "The Ocean at the End of the Lane", "Coraline", "American Gods" and "Stardust", all so very different. A master MASTER superb story teller for children and adults alike, Gaiman can tell a funny story, a fairytale, a strange fantasy, and an intriguing children's tale all extremely well.

With Fortunately, the Milk, which he had also read on audio and if you've never heard him audio narrate his books, you are missing out a whole dimension of Neil Gaiman that doesn't come in written text. I can't recommend it enough.

So yes, back to Fortunately, the Mlik, the father, the boy the girl and the run to the corner shop to pick up some milk. How can anyone get so creative? "Where there's milk, there's hope!" is probably my favorite line from the movie, followed closely by the children blurting out, "We don't believe a word of it. No, not a single word of it."

What I love about a number of Neil Gaiman's book is how short and sweet they are. While I love for them to go on, I love reading and devouring short complete stories just as much. This book was about an hour on audio and deliciously satisfying. Can't recommend this or any other of Neil Gaiman's books enough!

There is no milk for cereal in the home so dad goes out to the corner store to get some. He is gone a verrrry long time. When he returns he tells an outrageous story of why he was late. It includes aliens, time traveling, pirates, Mayan gods, vampires and dinosaurs. The bottle of milk saves the day more than once in his story. And no matter what happened, the milk makes it home safely in the end.

I adored this story because it is what you would call a tall tale--a story made up on the spot by grown ups late at night and told to the children. It was obviously utter nonsense, but who cares. Seeing where Dad would take the story next was a lot of fun. And the way Gaiman weaved a bottle of milk throughout was a nice touch.

The quirky and fun illustrations throughout the book help speed the story along. My only negative comment about the illustrations is that Mom is drawn to look like a 35 year old nag and Dad looks like an 18 year old fun only kind of guy (this was a strange characterization).

This book is advertized for grades 3-7. I think kids of all these grades would love this story. It is a quick read making it perfect for reluctant readers.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Caught Read Handed.

Fortunately, I was able to read this book. It is a delightfully light, funny, and enjoyable read. When the book begins, the mother of a young boy and his little sister leaves for a trip. The family runs out of milk, so the father sets out to the corner shop to buy some. He is gone for a rather long time, and when he gets back he tells them that he was on his way home when he was abducted by aliens who wanted to redecorate the planet. He manages to escape, but meets a bunch of pirates, and so on and so forth until he finally makes it back home.

Fortunately, the story was completely engrossing and lovely. It is a whimsical tale of pirates, vampires, dinosaurs who are professors and world-renown for their time travel, piranhas, aliens, and more. The story is funny, creative, and full of adventure.

Fortunately, Skottie Young is a wonderful illustrator and brought this story to life. The illustrations complement the silliness and craziness of this story perfectly. Everything feels a little over the top, much like the story does. Young’s illustrations make the story the father weaves feel as entertaining and as wild as the father’s story itself. So much fun! Also, I don’t know if it was just me, but the kids’ dad kind of looks like the Fourth Doctor. It can’t just be me, right?

Fortunately, I can buy a copy of this book for myself (I checked it out from the library).

Fortunately, the Milk is full of Gaiman magic and, with drawings reminiscent of Coraline (in my edition anyway), it really is quite an experience, for kids and grownups alike.

It’s not a story I can say will stay with me for a long time, especially considering other books I have read by this superb author. I went through it so quickly, completely engaged in the adventure, smiling here and there, and quite frankly it was just what I needed – something light, redolent of childhood, that put a smile on my face.

I would especially have loved a final reference to something that was said in the beginning, a little and that is when I waved hello to Mister Ronson, who was buying the paper, just to bring it full circle – the author already did that anyway throughout the book, and it is something which gives such more depth to the narrative, and a feeling that it was not made up at all. I also wish the drawings were coloured instead of black and white.

The kids will love the writing, graphics and crazy plot, and the adults will relate especially to things like mom leaving the to-do list before leaving, making sure you listened, going out to get the milk not just because your kids need it but because you want some with your tea, and just the brilliancy of taking regular items around you and creating the wackiest scenarios, making sure you include ponies because your daughter asked you for them.

Parents are a force of nature, and this book is a great example of that.

Please find my full review at: https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/fortunately-the-milk/

If I had to choose from among the books of Gaiman that I have read, this one would not be on that list.

It's not that there is anything objectionable in the book. It's just that there is no clear moral to the story. The book kind of reads (and looks) like someone had an acid trip and put it all down on paper.

The Usual Suspects is also a film that comes to mind. Verbal Kint saw some photos on the wall and fabricated a story that lasted two hours (which is about the amount of time that it takes to read this book). A father went out to get some milk and took a bit too long and he had to come up with a story that he made up exactly on the spot to explain his absence.

Verdict: Guarded recommendation.

I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s work and was excited to read this most recent kid’s book by him. It was very funny, with wonderful illustrations, and was just very well done.

When mom goes away to a conference for work, dad is left in charge of the kids. However dad forgets to get more milk, so he leaves to do so and is gone for a long time. However, when he does get back he has quite the story about why it took him so long. It’s a story that involve aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, angry natives, and...of course...piranhas.

I read this book with my six year old son. He got a kick out of it and so did my husband (who was listening in). It’s a very funny story. This is basically a way over one version of that whopper of a story your dad told about the time when he…..

Basically the dad fabricates an elaborate and fantastic story about when it took him so long to get that darn milk. The kids of course know that he is absolutely full of it. But as things go on they are not so sure. The end of the book throws a little twist at you and makes you wonder if maybe it wasn’t a story after all….

The illustration throughout is really really well done. I enjoyed it a lot. Some of the writing is done as illustration as well (not typed). It’s all very creative and makes for a very nice package overall. The book as a whole is just very well put together and high quality.

Overall an excellent read for all ages. Adult and kids alike will enjoy this book. I mean what is not to like? It has pirate, ponies, aliens, dinosaurs and even not-so-sparkly vampires. It has crazy inventions, adventure, time travel, and piranhas. Highly recommended to everyone and a super fun read.

Dads lead quietly heroic lives. If you take nothing else away from “Fortunately, The Milk,” you should remember that.

The dad of Neil Gaiman's new children's book certainly knows it. Why, you'd think the simple act of nipping down to the store for some milk for your children's breakfast cereal would be a relatively danger-free action, almost entirely lacking in, say, pirates.

You would, of course, be wrong.

As he explains to his two not-quite-believing-it kids, he bought the milk, chatted to a friend, and then saw the spaceship.

“And then something odd happened.”

“That wasn't odd?” I asked.

“Well, something ODDER,” my father said.

The tale of this father of two's perilous journey through time and space is a stirring one, and an exciting one, but most of all it's a magnificently silly one, matched perfectly with absurd artwork from Skottie Young. There are time-traveling dinosaurs. There are “wumpires,” but not the handsome, misunderstood ones (spoiler). There are aliens who want to take over the earth and replace all the trees with plastic flamingos and Australia with an enormous decorative plate with a picture of Australia on it. There are sharks. There is a spaceship door which must never be opened or you'll let the space-time continuum in. There is an angry Volcano God.

And through it all, there is a father trying valiantly to bring milk to his children. And to save the world or, possibly, to destroy the universe. Also with milk.

Like the best children's books, “Fortunately, The Milk” absolutely requires you to not just read it but perform it, with different voices and flagrant overacting in the finest parental tradition. My two sons are past the reading-to stage -- or, at least, they're both living on their own and might wonder about late-night, over-the-phone book reading -- so I read part of it to my wife at bedtime instead. I was sublime.

Gaiman has explained that this book was written to redress the wrongs he has committed against fathers in his other works, particularly the newspaper-reading father who is obliviously traded from child to child in his 2006 book, “The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish.”

“It's the silliest, strangest, most ridiculous book I've ever written,” he said, “and I'm dead proud of it.

“You should buy two copies. Just in case.”

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide

Completed: October 27, 2013
Publishing Info: September 17th 2013 by HarperCollins
Source: ARC received from Shelf Awareness
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy (Children’s/Middle Grade)

I had actually passed my copy of this ARC along to Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks when I was at BEA because I really don’t read middle grade/children’s and I hadn’t read any Neil Gaiman before, but after finished The Graveyard Book, I pretty much wanted to read more of Neil Gaiman’s books ASAP!

FORTUNATELY, THE MILK was a delightful little story. It’s quick, fun, and always engaging. The story begins with two children whose mother is out of the house so their father is taking care of them. They’ve run out of milk for their cereal and him for his tea, so he has to run to the store to get some more. On his way, he encounters aliens, dinosaurs, time travel, hot air balloons, and so much more, all the while, his kids skeptical of his outlandish story.

I had so much fun reading this and I loved the creativity involved in the various adventures and tribulations that the father has to go through. I don’t read a lot of children’s books, but this had me laughing out loud and I easily read it in one sitting. The illustrations were so cute too and definitely enhanced the story! It was an ARC so not all were filled in, but I loved how they gave me a better picture of how all of these fantastical creatures looked. They added a lot of whimsy to the book!

It was really fun to read, super quick, and perfect if you enjoy whimsy or want to read it to your kids!

You can read this review and more on my blog, Caught Read Handed.

Fortunately, I was able to read this book. It is a delightfully light, funny, and enjoyable read. When the book begins, the mother of a young boy and his little sister leaves for a trip. The family runs out of milk, so the father sets out to the corner shop to buy some. He is gone for a rather long time, and when he gets back he tells them that he was on his way home when he was abducted by aliens who wanted to redecorate the planet. He manages to escape, but meets a bunch of pirates, and so on and so forth until he finally makes it back home.

Fortunately, the story was completely engrossing and lovely. It is a whimsical tale of pirates, vampires, dinosaurs who are professors and world-renown for their time travel, piranhas, aliens, and more. The story is funny, creative, and full of adventure.

Fortunately, Skottie Young is a wonderful illustrator and brought this story to life. The illustrations complement the silliness and craziness of this story perfectly. Everything feels a little over the top, much like the story does. Young’s illustrations make the story the father weaves feel as entertaining and as wild as the father’s story itself. So much fun! Also, I don’t know if it was just me, but the kids’ dad kind of looks like the Fourth Doctor. It can’t just be me, right?

Fortunately, I can buy a copy of this book for myself (I checked it out from the library).

Fortunately, the Milk is full of Gaiman magic and, with drawings reminiscent of Coraline (in my edition anyway), it really is quite an experience, for kids and grownups alike.

It’s not a story I can say will stay with me for a long time, especially considering other books I have read by this superb author. I went through it so quickly, completely engaged in the adventure, smiling here and there, and quite frankly it was just what I needed – something light, redolent of childhood, that put a smile on my face.

I would especially have loved a final reference to something that was said in the beginning, a little and that is when I waved hello to Mister Ronson, who was buying the paper, just to bring it full circle – the author already did that anyway throughout the book, and it is something which gives such more depth to the narrative, and a feeling that it was not made up at all. I also wish the drawings were coloured instead of black and white.

The kids will love the writing, graphics and crazy plot, and the adults will relate especially to things like mom leaving the to-do list before leaving, making sure you listened, going out to get the milk not just because your kids need it but because you want some with your tea, and just the brilliancy of taking regular items around you and creating the wackiest scenarios, making sure you include ponies because your daughter asked you for them.

Parents are a force of nature, and this book is a great example of that.

Please find my full review at: https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/fortunately-the-milk/

If I had to choose from among the books of Gaiman that I have read, this one would not be on that list.

It's not that there is anything objectionable in the book. It's just that there is no clear moral to the story. The book kind of reads (and looks) like someone had an acid trip and put it all down on paper.

The Usual Suspects is also a film that comes to mind. Verbal Kint saw some photos on the wall and fabricated a story that lasted two hours (which is about the amount of time that it takes to read this book). A father went out to get some milk and took a bit too long and he had to come up with a story that he made up exactly on the spot to explain his absence.

Verdict: Guarded recommendation.

I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s work and was excited to read this most recent kid’s book by him. It was very funny, with wonderful illustrations, and was just very well done.

When mom goes away to a conference for work, dad is left in charge of the kids. However dad forgets to get more milk, so he leaves to do so and is gone for a long time. However, when he does get back he has quite the story about why it took him so long. It’s a story that involve aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, angry natives, and...of course...piranhas.

I read this book with my six year old son. He got a kick out of it and so did my husband (who was listening in). It’s a very funny story. This is basically a way over one version of that whopper of a story your dad told about the time when he…..

Basically the dad fabricates an elaborate and fantastic story about when it took him so long to get that darn milk. The kids of course know that he is absolutely full of it. But as things go on they are not so sure. The end of the book throws a little twist at you and makes you wonder if maybe it wasn’t a story after all….

The illustration throughout is really really well done. I enjoyed it a lot. Some of the writing is done as illustration as well (not typed). It’s all very creative and makes for a very nice package overall. The book as a whole is just very well put together and high quality.

Overall an excellent read for all ages. Adult and kids alike will enjoy this book. I mean what is not to like? It has pirate, ponies, aliens, dinosaurs and even not-so-sparkly vampires. It has crazy inventions, adventure, time travel, and piranhas. Highly recommended to everyone and a super fun read.

Dads lead quietly heroic lives. If you take nothing else away from “Fortunately, The Milk,” you should remember that.

The dad of Neil Gaiman's new children's book certainly knows it. Why, you'd think the simple act of nipping down to the store for some milk for your children's breakfast cereal would be a relatively danger-free action, almost entirely lacking in, say, pirates.

You would, of course, be wrong.

As he explains to his two not-quite-believing-it kids, he bought the milk, chatted to a friend, and then saw the spaceship.

“And then something odd happened.”

“That wasn't odd?” I asked.

“Well, something ODDER,” my father said.

The tale of this father of two's perilous journey through time and space is a stirring one, and an exciting one, but most of all it's a magnificently silly one, matched perfectly with absurd artwork from Skottie Young. There are time-traveling dinosaurs. There are “wumpires,” but not the handsome, misunderstood ones (spoiler). There are aliens who want to take over the earth and replace all the trees with plastic flamingos and Australia with an enormous decorative plate with a picture of Australia on it. There are sharks. There is a spaceship door which must never be opened or you'll let the space-time continuum in. There is an angry Volcano God.

And through it all, there is a father trying valiantly to bring milk to his children. And to save the world or, possibly, to destroy the universe. Also with milk.

Like the best children's books, “Fortunately, The Milk” absolutely requires you to not just read it but perform it, with different voices and flagrant overacting in the finest parental tradition. My two sons are past the reading-to stage -- or, at least, they're both living on their own and might wonder about late-night, over-the-phone book reading -- so I read part of it to my wife at bedtime instead. I was sublime.

Gaiman has explained that this book was written to redress the wrongs he has committed against fathers in his other works, particularly the newspaper-reading father who is obliviously traded from child to child in his 2006 book, “The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish.”

“It's the silliest, strangest, most ridiculous book I've ever written,” he said, “and I'm dead proud of it.

“You should buy two copies. Just in case.”

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide

Completed: October 27, 2013
Publishing Info: September 17th 2013 by HarperCollins
Source: ARC received from Shelf Awareness
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy (Children’s/Middle Grade)

I had actually passed my copy of this ARC along to Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks when I was at BEA because I really don’t read middle grade/children’s and I hadn’t read any Neil Gaiman before, but after finished The Graveyard Book, I pretty much wanted to read more of Neil Gaiman’s books ASAP!

FORTUNATELY, THE MILK was a delightful little story. It’s quick, fun, and always engaging. The story begins with two children whose mother is out of the house so their father is taking care of them. They’ve run out of milk for their cereal and him for his tea, so he has to run to the store to get some more. On his way, he encounters aliens, dinosaurs, time travel, hot air balloons, and so much more, all the while, his kids skeptical of his outlandish story.

I had so much fun reading this and I loved the creativity involved in the various adventures and tribulations that the father has to go through. I don’t read a lot of children’s books, but this had me laughing out loud and I easily read it in one sitting. The illustrations were so cute too and definitely enhanced the story! It was an ARC so not all were filled in, but I loved how they gave me a better picture of how all of these fantastical creatures looked. They added a lot of whimsy to the book!

It was really fun to read, super quick, and perfect if you enjoy whimsy or want to read it to your kids!

I was reorganizing my library in preparation for acquiring new books when I found a charming book I had misplaced and thought. Hey, I know what this would be good for. Anyone who has been to my house knows I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan. I Loved his comic book series Magic and Sandman (from waay back when I was in grade school) and have every single books Mr. Gaiman has published. Some of which are my all time favorite books. (See Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, The Graveyard Book...etc)

So last year when I saw this strange cover with a dinosaur in a hot air balloon pushing buttons and a guy right out of a Shel Silverstein illustration....I had to get the book. (The library I write a blog for also put it on its purchase list.) It is a Junior Fiction novel and it's title:

Fortunately the Milk, Harper Collins (September 17, 2013)
Grade 3-7, 128 pg (Hard Back)

This charming illustrated story is for grade school readers, but might be a good start for a boy or girl who reads comics and is intimidated by "big books" or just feels they can't get through a longer work. I read the whole book standing in the book store and laughed and chortled enough to draw a crowd... So it is funny, and silly, and is chock full of everything a young adventurer likes: dinosaurs, pirates, sparkling ponies... and a volcano god.

So I invite you to read to your kids, or hand them this wonderful book, and get ready to experience the most adventure you can have on the way to get a bottle of milk at the corner store....

Fortunately, the Milk tells the story about a father that sets out to buy milk for his children's breakfast, and when he comes back he has a fantastical story to tell of aliens, pirates and dinosaurs flying in hot air balloons!

I listened to Fortunately, the Milk in audio format and it was a little story but a brilliant one. It was only 58 minutes long but in that time, Neil Gaiman packs it full of a wonderful story. I love how he has the ability to turn the most simplest thing into something wonderful. He does it with Chu's Day (the Panda that sneezes and makes lots of things happen with just a sneeze!!) and he does it again with this story. I don't think I will think about an errand to get milk quite the same way again!

Neil Gaiman narrates this story himself, and I love his narration. He has a great narrating voice, and I love the many inflections he uses to voice the different characters.

I recommend this one to anyone that is looking for a quick escape into a funny little world, alike to ours, but with pirates, aliens and a fabulous stegosaurus inventor! Perfect for kids and adults alike.

Fortunately, The Milk is the fourth book for young readers by British author, Neil Gaiman. Mum’s away, Dad’s in charge and there’s no milk for breakfast. Dad pops down to the corner shop to get some, but seems to take forever to get back. He explains to his sceptical son and daughter just what took him so long.

The back cover blurb of this book claims that no Green Globby Aliens, no Pirates, no Angry Volcano Gods demanding human sacrifice, no Intergalactic Police, and no Hot Air Balloon piloted by an accomplished Stegosaurus feature, but, while not wishing to include a spoiler, this is patently false. All these things, and many more, do appear in the pages of this book. Gaiman delights young (and maybe not-so-young) readers with a brilliantly inventive plot while Chris Riddell enhances the text with lots of marvellous illustrations. A fun read.

Should give hope to all aspiring children's authors that a silly string of tripe like this can get published and rave reviews. It's ok if your mind wanders while reading this nonsense. You won't have missed anything. There is no plot to speak of. No characterization. What is left is stream-of-consciousness whimsy about why a father might have been late coming back from the store. I usually love Gaiman's work, but I can't help but think that anyone else who submitted this to an editor would receive zero response. One good thing- the cartoonish illustrations take up much of the pages so it flies by quickly. I can't understand anyone thinking this would make a great read aloud.

Neil Gaiman seems to be a very comfortable author. Whether he is writing books for children, teens, or adults, his books always have something others don't offer: a spectacular imagination. His books for younger readers would be great read-alouds for parents and children as they always have a fairytale quality to them...close enough to reality to be believeable, but with enough mystery and magic thrown in that they are obviously fictional.

Fortunately, the Milk has a fun cover illustration that could be appealing to both girls and boys, and once the cover is cracked open, you probably won't be able to stop reading until the story is finished. Even then, your mind might return to the pages of this book to ponder what other journeys the absentminded father portrayed in its pages might encounter were his family to run out of bread, or butter.

This book is filled with enjoyable fonts and wonderful illustrations that will capture your attention from the get-go. I can also see reluctant readers being more apt to pick up this title, since it has such a colorful and jaunty dust jacket. Whether young or old, this story will leave you wondering what really happened on that day when mum went to a conference, and father set out to fetch the milk.

www.compassbookratings.com

If this is what happens when you go buy some milk….I am glad that I am vegan. What with aliens and pirates who would think walking to your local shop could be so exciting.
This book will lead you to have deep philosophical thoughts about what is in a name? Are names important? Does a coconut get offended when you call it something other than a coconut? I think you will agree that these are the questions the world demands to know.
This is the type of book that will change the world, ‘Where there is milk, there is hope,’ is a motto that will echo around the world for generations to come. It brings a new level of awareness and awakening to the world.
As ancient (ish) prophecies are fulfilled and children wait for breakfast. Will a stegosaurus save the day? Will anybody ever just have toast for breakfast?
Doctor Who eat your heart out….your TARDIS pales into insignificant compared to the ‘It is a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier.’ This is what time travelling should be about!
If that wasn’t enough there are ponies . . . there are most definitely ponies in this book. As well as vampires and sandwiches . . . every vampire needs a sandwich.
Will aliens take over the world? Well judging by what happened at Cleethorpes zoo before it closed….I fear this may be closer to reality than people realise.
So bring on the Dancing Dwarfs!

I've been a Gaiman fan for years, liking everything of his I've read. Unfortunately I was unimpressed with this one. I bought this to introduce my young 6 yr old to his work but found it quite tedious. The whole book felt rushed, as if he was making the story up as he went and wrote it in an afternoon. It was full of hacky jokes and silly nonsensical pieces that even my son yawned at. I was really surprised that Gaiman put this out as it deserved a better polish. There was no sense of being in this story (like say, Charlie and the Chocolate factory), just being jerkily pulled along from one disconnected scene to another, which were linked in the most tenuous ways. To be honest, it felt like a normal dad-level story who tries to improvise and make up a story rather than something the kids could buy into.

This book was fantastic. I was smiling as I was reading it and I will be making my 7 year old son read it because I know he will really like it too. The only other Neil Gaiman book I have read is Coraline which I also really like but this blew that one out of the water. This book was a funny, super quick read that included some great illustrations, some of them full pages.

Fortuantely, the Milk is a story about a father who goes down the street, to the corner store, to buy some milk for his children’s cereal. His children wait, and wait, and wait for him to come home but it is taking ages! Finally he arrives home and when his children ask what took him so long he tells them a tale so unbelievable about how traveled through time and eventually saved the world, all while keeping hold of the milk.

I think I liked this book so much because it reminded me of a Roald Dahl book. Roald Dahl is my favorite children/middle grade author of all time. I have been reading his books since I was young. I am not sure if Neil Gaiman has written any other books like this but if he has I must get my hands on them.

This is a sweetly, endearing children's book with some fantastic, whimsical illustrations! With such a mundane start - the need to buy milk for breakfast - Neil Gaiman spins a wild, adventurous tall tale of encounters with different peoples and creatures in different times. The story moves so quickly and in very imaginatively unexpected directions, while also tying up all the loose ends nicely. Since there is a time travel aspect to it, I appreciated how neatly some of those temporal twists were explained in the end.

The story is framed by the children who are being told this story by their father, and that element of childish skepticism and tangential thinking added humor and fun side-commentary to an already entertaining story. This book was a joy to read for this adult, so I imagine it must be the same for any child. If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman, children's books, or fun stories, definitely give this one a try!

My Review: A father went to the shop down the road to buy a bottle of milk for his kids for their morning breakfast. The kids waited a long while for their father to return but there was no sign of him.
When he finally returned, he had a story to tell them, a story involving aliens; pirates; ponies; wumpires and more. He told them how he heard some odd noises. He looked up and saw a huge silver disc hovering in the air and how he got sucked up into the disc. With all the adventure he had to go through on the disc he made sure to secure the milk.

This book is not only funny but entertaining with the illustrations by Skottie Young which help to tell the story. Find out more of what happened to their father on the alien ship.

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from HarperCollins in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

When Dad stays out way too long on his way to get some milk, his kids want to know where he’s been all the time. What they didn’t expect is that he had a weird time-traveling experience with Professor Steg, a talking dinosaur.

Dad and Professor Steg travel through different centuries and countries and meet all sorts of characters who aren’t always friendly. Professor Steg is an intelligent and likable character with whom I would travel the universe right away and Dad is, well, a caring Dad who doesn’t shy away from the unknown.

Fortunately, the Milk is a witty and imaginative book that holds surprises on every page. Chris Riddell‘s fitting drawings are beautiful and enhance your reading experience. As this book is a great read for adults, I’m sure children will love it too.

Who would’ve guessed a bottle of milk can lead to so much adventure?! Of course, that’s exactly what would happen if you leave dad in charge of the household and kids while mom’s away.

Grumpy-looking aliens, eighteenth-century pirates, a stegosaurus with a temperamental time-machine, a jungle, a volcano, ponies, vampires, and three purple dwarfs...this charming tale of adventure is just filled with all the goodies that would set a child’s imagination alight!

The illustrations are on the dot, making this an even more fun read than the narrative alone. In many ways the images reminded me of Tim Burton’s movie interpretation of Coraline, but without the nightmarish bits. This is the second novella of Gaiman’s I’ve read, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he is a masterful storyteller with a wicked imagination.

Fortunately, the Milk is the ideal bedtime read to send your little one off to dreamland with a smile!

I tried to get my daughter to write a review as she thoroughly enjoyed this book but alas, she'd rather move onto her other books or play. We got this book from the library, I wasn't sure she'd like it since she likes Rick Riordan type of books, but saw all the positive reviews on the store so checked it out. Very glad we did. Since there's already a summary of what the book is about, I just wanted to add that it's a fairly quick read, not a thick book, and there are many wonderful drawings in the book (reminds me a bit of Shel Silverstein drawings), and it's quite humorous and creative. My daughter read it in one day and then read it again the next day, only this time, out loud so that I could hear it, and when she stopped reading out loud, she told me and her grandmother that we MUST read it, therefore, she highly recommends it to kids and adults.

This is the first book I read by Neil Gaiman and I loved it so much! It’s so fun and great to read aloud and I finished it within an hour. I referenced this book in an essay for VCFA, which was fun to write. I love how this book is one part Doctor Who, one part The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and one part The Usual Suspects! It really fits with all the elements at play in the book. The overall story is cute and lighthearted, perfect for a bedtime story with children, or those who are a child-at-heart. I recommend this book to everyone!

Neil Gaiman’s middle grade novel Fortunately, the Milk is a brief yarn of the rip-roaring variety, with mad-cap adventure, strange encounters and space-time jumps. It’s a sweet meditation on fathers and children and the stories that make up a family history. It’s also beautifully illustrated by Skottie Young, far-fetched-but-charming in content and composition, and a great length (short!) for reluctant readers.

Recommended for: kids who haven’t outgrown illustrated stories, the adult who hasn’t outgrown his/her childhood imagination, and Neil Gaiman superfans.

(review originally posted at: [...]

I loved it!

I read it in less than an hour and pretty much smiled the whole way through.

This is a book for children (the recommended age is 8-12), with a great story and awesome illustrations. The Kindle version has all the illustrations, which are black and white line art. It's a quick, fun read - perfect for relaxing after a hard day at work. And if you have kids - share it with them!

It's the story of a father who after forgetting to get milk the night before runs into a rollicking adventure the next morning while getting milk for his kids' cereal and his tea. The adventure includes hot air balloons (floaty-ball-person-carrier), dinosaurs, aliens, pirates, vampires (wumpires) and a volcano god!

What more can you ask for?

Our seven year old loves this creative, surprising, and funny story that is easy for a young person to understand - including the jokes! Rarely do we find a book that is an instant favorite with our whole family and this book hits it out of the park. Pure delight!

are you ready to get completely silly and bonkers? I don’t know, if you’re ready for this last book, it’s seriously out there. Alright let’s start with a question: Has your mom ever left you alone with dad in charge? Or should I say have you ever sent dad out to pick up some milk and he got sucked in a space time continuum? Well that is what happens to the Dad in this book, Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman. After taking quite a long time to return home with Milk, he repairs with a tale of his encounters on the way home that involve everything from a pirate queen to a time traveling scientist who happens to also be a dinosaur. This book is funny, and spunky just like dad and their jokes tend to be. The writing in the story is just as witty and whimsically as the pictures that accompany it. If you are ready for a book to take you on a wild, and goofy time traveling adventure, you wont be able to put this book down.

As you probably know, this is a book meant for children, but a reader of any age would thoroughly enjoy this! It's a quick read, great for a family read-aloud session.

A wacky fantasy story is born when a dad tries to explain to his family what exactly happened when he went to get milk for breakfast. I was laughing constantly, and each page offered out-there remarks and plot lines that were quirky, unique, and crazy. At the same time, this funny book brought concepts that made you think, mainly some heavy duty time travel.

The story is one crazy, fantastical adventure-- all because of a bottle of milk. Overall, a hilarious read that anyone could get a kick out of!!

What a cute story! A Neil Gaiman classic for sure. This book tells of the crazy and adventurous journey a dad tell his kids that he faced on the trip to the corner store to get the milk. A short story but packed with quirky fun and loads of imaginative characters to love. I would recommend this to everyone of all ages.

I read this to my four year old son - he's never laughed so hard, and now wants me to read him more "chapter books". To be fair I think reading this book to young kids requires speaking in a variety of funny voices and making sound effects, and for that it's probably worth reading it to yourself first to have a good sense of what's coming next (I did and it took me 30 mins or so). Also, at times my son had trouble following the plot (e.g. wacky time travel stuff), but it didn't detract much from the fun experience.

The story is a generally light one and flows easily from one page to the next as the father goes on to tell his two kids what exactly happened to him while he was out. The story includes a lot of fantastic elements that are a little hard to believe, and thus the story includes fun moments when the kids interrupt the story and ask questions about this or that detail. They're not exactly taking things at face value, as children are prone to do.

Skottie Young's illustrations do a tremendous job of bringing the story to life. His art alone is what primarily makes me wish that I had spent more time looking for a hardbound copy of the book in order to enjoy his illustrations in all their glory. And I'm not just talking about the odd picture page here or there - pretty much every page is brought to life with his illustrations and the text wraps about the artwork in order to keep things nicely integrated. It really does a lot to make the book even more fun than it already is based on the core story. I think the only thing that could have made things even more amazing would have been if they had been in full color, but beggars can't be choosers.

The book is beautiful in its simplicity. Like many other Gaiman books, it does a great job of bringing you back to your childhood. The way it's all described makes one feel like you're right there in the kitchen together with the kids listening to the story as your imagination fills in all the gaps and puts the stories together.

Fortunately, the Milk is a fun, delightful book that I enjoyed a lot and I strongly recommend for kids and parents alike. There's a lot to be enjoyed regardless of what you're going through and the book is sure to put a smile on your face.

Sat down with this last night to read to my six- and nine-year-old boys. An hour and a lot of giggles later, we'd finished it. I have the UK edition where the illustrations look like @neilhimself, and that added even more to the story for me, but the boys just enjoyed the dinosaurs, sci-fi, geology and general madness. I am not sure whether they got the references to "the Usual Suspects" (which they of course haven't seen) but I did - and when I suggested lending the book to the girl next door they both agreed that she could borrow it "later, mum, we sort of need to read it again first". And then the nine-year-old took it to bed with him to start over again.

Over the last two days, I read this story to my kids (ages 6-11) before bed. They absolutely loved it! The illustrations are fun and creative. It was a great adventure, highly recommended for reading TO your kids, even if they can read for themselves.

Mr. Gaiman is becoming one of my favorite children's authors. This book is whimsical, outrageous, imaginative, and silly. Yep, he knows his target audience well. He is a mighty fine writer, and he has a deep understanding of what children like. He is respectful of his audience and writes for them knowing they have working brains, a sense of humor, families with issues, and like to hear stories read aloud. This book just screams READ ME ALOUD to your favorite child.

When you finish this, go look for some of his books for adults. Yes, you do want to read them. His books for adults are great too.

If Dr. Seuss had ever written a chapter book, it would have come out like Fortunately, the Milk. The illustrations were fun, detailed, and slightly strange. The story was quirky and imaginative. It made my kids giggle a few times. There were aliens and dinosaurs and a lot of other crazy characters in between. It was a fun, short story to read out loud to my 7 and 5 year old every night. If you’re looking for something different to read to your kids, go pick this one up. It’s a book adults can enjoy too. I looked forward to reading this as much as my kids did.

Fortunately, the Milk is an absolute MUST READ. If I could give it 10 stars I wouldn't hesitate.
It was seriously witty, hilarious, clever, and everything I ever wanted in a book. The past couple of Gaiman's books I have read have all featured rather distant parental figures, so it was a pleasant surprise to crack open Fortunately, the Milk and discover that this one features a brilliant father who entertains his children with a preposterous story of why he was late bringing home the milk. I can't help but picture Gaiman's own face as that of the dad in this story- and I have no doubt that this is the type of story he would tell his own kids.

The only advice I can give on this on is to absolutely not start reading it while still at the library. You will laugh. You will not be able to help it. And the librarian will glare and shush you. (Unless she happens to be as cool as this humble librarian- in which case, as soon as she sees what you are reading, she will of course understand that your laughter could absolutely not be helped, and you will be excused- just this once.)

I bought this book at a school book fair. I meant it for my son, but I ended up reading it. I thought the book was "classic Gaiman" in the best way. Fun, clever writing, which is his style. It is also a great "Dad's story" about his adventures when he was out buying milk. The artwork I was a little put off by, at first, but now I really like it. I see where the style fits perfectly with the book.

Being a huge fan of anything Gaiman, I couldn't wait to grab a copy of his new children's book. Wow, while I was reading this book I was thinking, "I'll bet this story came to him while he was trying to write episodes for Doctor Who (for which Neil has written 2 episodes thus far). This story has a lot of "timey whimey" moments following a Dad's whimsical adventure returning home with milk for his children's breakfast. Unlike his kids, I actually believed every moment of his story, and the proof is all in the MILK!!!

This is the most complete children's story I've ever seen. There's literally something in it for every audience. Every audience. (Except the soulless.) As well as featuring milk, the book also features:

*Pirates
*Dinosaurs
*Time travel
*Pink ponies with blue stars
*Space travel
*Aliens
*Vampires
*Children
*Volcanoes
*An impressive vocabulary
*An example for parents to follow when explaining why they took so long doing anything

Parents: if you're going to purchase this book for your children, consider buying it on audiobook because:
1) It's read by Neil Gaiman, featuring his awesome accent doing awesome voices, with sound effects
2) Your child will want to hear it on a running loop for... well, we've heard it every day for a couple weeks now. But it's okay because it's totally funny enough to hear again and again, and since I don't have to do the actual reading, when it becomes un-funny I can leave the room while it runs.

I wanted to like this book. I really did, but I did not. I read it with great hopes of a fabulous read-a-loud for my students. It was chaotic. The possibility for great voices exists, but it fell short in the story delivery department. There were some funny parts that dealt with the dialogue of the kids with their dad, but far too few to carry the story. Heavy sigh!

Fortunately, the Milk is an entertaining tall tale that is told by the father in the story. He goes out for milk one day and tells his children a tale to explain what took him so long. His story includes an alien spaceship, pirates, piranhas, a stegosaurus, a volcano, vampires, and more. The illustrations are well-drawn and amusing, and the writing is excellent as is usual with Mr. Gaiman. If you like kids books (as I do), this is a great purchase.

For more book reviews, check out [...]

I bought this book at a school book fair. I meant it for my son, but I ended up reading it. I thought the book was "classic Gaiman" in the best way. Fun, clever writing, which is his style. It is also a great "Dad's story" about his adventures when he was out buying milk. The artwork I was a little put off by, at first, but now I really like it. I see where the style fits perfectly with the book.

Being a huge fan of anything Gaiman, I couldn't wait to grab a copy of his new children's book. Wow, while I was reading this book I was thinking, "I'll bet this story came to him while he was trying to write episodes for Doctor Who (for which Neil has written 2 episodes thus far). This story has a lot of "timey whimey" moments following a Dad's whimsical adventure returning home with milk for his children's breakfast. Unlike his kids, I actually believed every moment of his story, and the proof is all in the MILK!!!

This is the most complete children's story I've ever seen. There's literally something in it for every audience. Every audience. (Except the soulless.) As well as featuring milk, the book also features:

*Pirates
*Dinosaurs
*Time travel
*Pink ponies with blue stars
*Space travel
*Aliens
*Vampires
*Children
*Volcanoes
*An impressive vocabulary
*An example for parents to follow when explaining why they took so long doing anything

Parents: if you're going to purchase this book for your children, consider buying it on audiobook because:
1) It's read by Neil Gaiman, featuring his awesome accent doing awesome voices, with sound effects
2) Your child will want to hear it on a running loop for... well, we've heard it every day for a couple weeks now. But it's okay because it's totally funny enough to hear again and again, and since I don't have to do the actual reading, when it becomes un-funny I can leave the room while it runs.

I wanted to like this book. I really did, but I did not. I read it with great hopes of a fabulous read-a-loud for my students. It was chaotic. The possibility for great voices exists, but it fell short in the story delivery department. There were some funny parts that dealt with the dialogue of the kids with their dad, but far too few to carry the story. Heavy sigh!

Fortunately, the Milk is an entertaining tall tale that is told by the father in the story. He goes out for milk one day and tells his children a tale to explain what took him so long. His story includes an alien spaceship, pirates, piranhas, a stegosaurus, a volcano, vampires, and more. The illustrations are well-drawn and amusing, and the writing is excellent as is usual with Mr. Gaiman. If you like kids books (as I do), this is a great purchase.

For more book reviews, check out [...]

Excellent book, excellent story and incredible imagination for this brilliant author, with the company of one of the most brilliants illustrators. Definitely a most book you should have in your collection.

My 9 year old daughter with dyslexia, who normally hates reading, absolutely LOVED this book and so did I! It's such a quirky and funny story and we both love the pictures. We just want more! My daughter begged for the series (which the is none) and this means a lot for a girl who has struggled with reading. SO PLEASE PLEASE Neil Gaiman write more!

The story of a father's brave quest to bring home a bottle of milk. Neil Gaiman's words and Skottie Young's pictures add up to a whimsical adventure filled with space dinosaurs, "wumpires", globs of space goo, and the (maybe, possibly) end of the universe.

I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan, and this didn't disappoint me even a little. Highly recommended.

What a treat to have Neil Gaiman, himself, reading this audiobook! It is simply delightful. Every sentence is beautifully written and spoken. We have listened to it twice as a family. Everyone from 5 to 40 enjoyed it immensely and laughed often.
Highly recommended.

Such a clever, funny book...so I was really disappointed by the lengthy, tasteless gag about primitive Polynesian volcano-worshippers, complete with caricatures of obese half-naked people. It’s 2018–racist jokes about Pacific Islanders aren’t funny anymore!

I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading books that entails vivid use of imagination. The writer used characters that are realistic average people who experience an adventure that seems so realistic you have to witness it to believe it. If like books along the lines like Judy Moody or Junie B. Jones or even Flat Stanley then this is a book for you.

I'm not sure why folks pan this because they don't get it. But, regardless-- it's a cute, witty, fast-paced romp that is marvelous. It's classic Gaiman and as someone who's a teacher, I think it would be a great story for kids. As an adult who "gets it" I think the foundation many of the negative reviewers lack is the concept of British comedy. I grew up with the likes of Doctor Who & Monty Python. Professor Steg is a great cross between the two, as is the Father. Throw in a little Douglas Adams and a bottle of milk, and you've got a really great story. I'm certain some of these nuances are lost on some really young children, but this is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a kid. I highly recommend it.

"Fortunately, the Milk" absolutely lived up to my expectations! The story was most curious, and I had so much fun reading it.

10 years ago I would find it fantastic. Now, nearly an adult, I find it cute and silly. I nearly forgot how good it is to read adventure stories confident that the characters will make it through safe and sound. Another great element I love about children's books are the illustrations. And Mr. Skottie Young did a wonderful job. People with curly fingers, animals standing on their hind legs, strange creatures with big eyes.... They are so adorable I can stare at them for hours.

This book is worth buying because it can be re-read again and again. It will definitely bring different details and amusements every time. It has become one of my all time favorite children's books. It is something I would love to share with my younger cousins and probably read to them when I have the chance.

Quite funny, as a Dad watches his kids for the weekend, he forgets to get them MILK!!!! He comes back and tells them all he went through to save the milk (and the world) for them. The illustrations are crazy, in a good way and I think this is a book many Silly people will enjoy.

I read it in an hour and will someday read it to my girls. Though they will need to be grade school age first.

Two of my 7th grade boys laughed out loud when they breezed through this book. I borrowed it from them, and I was delighted. It appears to be a book for little kids, but I think there is more appreciation from a middle schooler.

This was just a delightful fable for the kiddies. Highly recommended to any fans of time travel, pirates, aliens, volcanoes, dinosaurs, and breakfast cereal. Not recommended to anyone without an inner child or a childish sense of humor or wonder.

A cute story about a father who goes out for milk for his children's morning cereal and comes back much later with a wild adventure story explaining his delay. Is it true? A fun story with wild characters and coincidences. I read it with a smile on my face the whole time.

Neil Gaiman has the Dr. Seuss touch of whimsical genius. I took this book out of the library entirely because my eighth grade students and I enjoyed The Graveyard Book so much. Fortunately the Milk is a very different book. It had me laughing out loud. The book feels like And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, by Dr. Seuss, but it is a delightfully original updating of the story. It is very 21st century, zany funny and great inspiration for kids to write their own "guess what happened to me that made me so late" story.

This was a quick, fun story for middle grade readers or younger. It pays homage to the tall tales parents tell their children. I hope I can be as quick on my feet as the father in this story. Another success from Gaiman.

On my own for the night with two of my daughters, we read this straight through in a single sitting at the dinner table while sipping chocolate and dipping biscotti. My kids (6 and 10) really enjoyed it, and didn't tire of listening. All told, it was a pleasant read. The illustrations are a lot of fun and definitely contribute to the pleasure of reading the book.

My son, daughter and I read "Odd and the Frost Giants" together, which launched us on a search for other Neil Gaiman books for younger readers. This one was great. It was a super-fast read, very imaginative and funny. I found my daughter going back to look through all the pictures again after we finished the story.

Quick, entertaining read for adults. Left me amazed--yet again--at Gaiman's ability to fully capture the wonder and magic of childhood. The bit of irrefutable logic at the end sounds like something I would use on my own children.

When it says "for all ages", it's not kidding! This book is perfect for everyone. It is a wacky tale of aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, and time travel, full of laughs and adventure. The illustrations are fun and quirky, and they fit Gaiman's writing perfectly. I would recommend this book to almost everyone I know.

... continues to write amazing stories for all! Coming off the book high of "Ocean at the End of the Lane", I couldn't wait to get this book! I enjoy all the many genres of Gaiman. However, my daughter (11) got to read this before I was able. After I come home from work, she comes to me, hands me the book and says, "Awesome!! Don't worry I won't spoil it for you. (Wink) But I'll tell ya, this dad is waaayyyyy better than the one from "The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish". This one is so much more like [my] dad!!!". Lol! Too cute. Anyone of any age will love this book!! Especially dads everywhere!!
Oh! I can't write about this book without mentioning the art! Beautiful linework to match the whimsy of Gaiman. Definitely buy the hard cover!! ♥

Neil Gaiman is almost always a must read for me.
There is something about his writing that reminds you of your childhood when your imagination would run away with you. Mr. Gaiman seems to be able to harness that raw feeling of endless possibilities and share it with an audience, and we are lucky that he does so...

I love Neil Gaiman’s books for adults and was looking for something fun for the littlies. This has all the fun and knowing mischief of his other books but with the classic memory games and refrains of children’s books.

A delightful story accompanied by even more delightful drawings, this book is clever enough to entertain both an adult reading it to a child and a child reading it alone. I especially enjoyed the poke at Twilight, and the piranhas.

I just finished reading this novella to my 10 year old daughter. She loved the story complete with my funny accents. She insisted I complete it in one sitting and laughed out loud throughout the tale. Great for young kids and lovers of Neil Gaimans work. Be aware it is short and lighthearted but great fun nonetheless.

It's a very imaginative short tale of what you tell the kids if you happen to be on an errand to get milk and happen to run into some interesting characters along the way. I love this style of storytelling.

My eight year old read, then went back to reread her favorite funny parts, and has been going back to look at her favorite illustrations. My first grader also could have read it herself but I decided to read aloud (while 8 yr old listened in again) since I thought a butchered British accent would help some of the particularly funny parts. I appreciated some of the humor directed towards the older readers and I'm wondering who it is in Mr. Gaiman's life that has an affinity for throw pillows and scented candles.

I read this to my 5 year old son in 2 sittings during one day, and he loved it. It's a fantasy book wherein the father explains to his son and daughter why he was late returning with the milk. My son was engrossed, and talked spontaneously about his favorite part during the car ride home. I enjoyed reading it to him because it was clever and imaginative, as we would expect from this author, but clearly a children's book.

I read this aloud to my 7 year old daughter and she loved it! She begged me to keep reading when it was time to stop for the night. It is just the sort of crazy, nonsensical fun that many kids enjoy. We borrowed a copy from the library, but I'm now buying one because she wants to read it again.

This was a delightful book to read aloud with my seven year old (make sure to do the voices!) The wonderful, weird illustrations wrap around and through the pages and the volume is thoughtfully designed. The story is has heavy Douglas Adams influences (are those Vogons?) and serves as a good primer for Doctor Who. One warning: may delay bedtime since there are no chapters and lots of cliff hangers! I don't want to give any spoilers but watch out for Keyser Söze.

A fun book to read aloud as well as an interesting story for kids. My two year old falls asleep to stories but I think if he were older and able to follow it this would be too exciting for a bedtime story but maybe a great book to get young readers excited about reading.

Aside from a minor concern that the audio features of this digital product did not work on my laptop kindle I really enjoyed this little book.

The highlight was Young's artwork, superb pencil-work that brought together detail and insanity into a cute arrangement on the page.

Gaimen's story shows his 'Douglas Adams' side rather than his darker stuff (so surprising for a children's book) but he still manages to throw in some thoughtful stuff for the older readers. I also must confess some of his humour made me laugh out loud. On the train. Always a good look.

A fun book to read aloud as well as an interesting story for kids. My two year old falls asleep to stories but I think if he were older and able to follow it this would be too exciting for a bedtime story but maybe a great book to get young readers excited about reading.

Aside from a minor concern that the audio features of this digital product did not work on my laptop kindle I really enjoyed this little book.

The highlight was Young's artwork, superb pencil-work that brought together detail and insanity into a cute arrangement on the page.

Gaimen's story shows his 'Douglas Adams' side rather than his darker stuff (so surprising for a children's book) but he still manages to throw in some thoughtful stuff for the older readers. I also must confess some of his humour made me laugh out loud. On the train. Always a good look.

I finished The Book Thief and couldn't stop doing the ugly cry so my husband made me promise to stop reading books about small children in Nazi Germany for at least a day. I read this book instead and it didn't make me ugly cry at all. In fact, it was deliciously wonderful and I reveled in the lack of swastikas.

This book was so much fun to read aloud to my students. It is fast paced and uses such beautifully descriptive language. My kids begged for more time to read it every day. I have already passed it along to the teacher next door and her class is loving it too!

This book was funny cute and great for all ages. I think my 7 year-old and 12 year-old sister's would enjoy it very much. It would make a great family read aloud. My 7 year-old sister thinks that lithe prophecy's were so funny the children went so long without milk for there cereal:)

I don't hate the book but I would like to pass on some information. Yes, I'm old-school and I like to buy hardcover books for kids. I know I should have done more research but even if I did read the fine print the store didn't offer any other hardcover options. I was very disappointed that the book is only 7.6 x 5.1 inches! Now how do you possibly gather the children around and have them look at a tiny 5X7 book? If I wanted to read from a 5 x 7 devise I would have bought the Kindle version. What a rip off. I would much rather pay more for a book and get one in a good size to read to a crowd of little kids. I'm getting very disappointed with the store.

Sorry for the 1 star. I haven't even read the book yet so its not based on the story, its based on the store downsizing. I getting really tired of the cheapening of products!