fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsFortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman children's fantasy book reviewsFortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

I never pass up a children’s story written and read by Neil Gaiman. The stories he writes for kids are among his best work and they’re even better when he reads them himself. The audiobook version of Fortunately, the Milk (HarperAudio) would make a great gift for parents who travel with children. Fortunately, the Milk will keep the entire family happily entertained for 1 hour.

17In this very amusing story, a boy and his little sister are stuck at home with Dad while Mum is out of town at a conference. Mum left instructions for Dad and reminded him that he needed to pick up a carton of milk before breakfast in the morning. Well, he forgot, and the kids are upset about not having milk for their cereal. So Dad puts down his paper and heads off to the corner market for milk. It takes a very long time for him to return. The kids figure that he saw one of his friends and started talking. When he finally gets home they accuse him of this, but Dad indignantly says that they have misjudged him.

In fact, what happened, Dad explains, is that when he walked out of the market, he was abducted by aliens who want to redecorate the Earth. When he escaped, he was on a ship full of blood-thirsty pirates, then there was a dinosaur in a time machine… and on it goes in a wacky surreal adventure that’s cleverly circular. Somehow, throughout it all, Dad luckily manages to hold on to the milk (and thus the title “Fortunately, the Milk”) and bring it home to the kids.

Fortunately, the Milk is silly and fun, especially when read by the oh, so charming Neil Gaiman who is a wonderful storyteller. Children and parents alike (especially the mothers) will not be able to resist it.

The print version of Fortunately, the Milk is wonderful, too. It’s hilariously illustrated by Skottie Young. I liked it so much that I bought a copy for my 8 year old nephew. My daughter Petra, who just turned 10 a few days ago, told me that she found a copy of the book in her new classroom at school. She’s enjoying it, too.

Publication date: September 17, 2013. “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.

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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