Status
Checked out
Genres
Collection
Publication
HarperCollins (2014), Edition: Reprint, 128 pages
Description
While picking up milk for his children's cereal, a father is abducted by aliens and finds himself on a wild adventure through time and space.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jnwelch
Fortunately, the Milk is a frothy concoction from Neil Gaiman, targeted to the 3-7 age group and illustrated by Skottie Young] It raises the age old question of how is a dad to explain his being late returning from an errand. The answer combines a clever shaggy dog story with an undercurrent from
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the movie The Usual Suspects. If you like Gaiman's books, you'll probably find this whimsical fun. If you don't like Gaiman's books, you'll probably find it a load of bilge. Show Less
LibraryThing member kristennicoson
If you’ve ever heard or read interviews by Neil Gaiman, you know that he spent his youth in a library, reading avidly, devouring the children’s section and then moving on to the adult books. He is a true lover of stories and grew up to be a purveyor of some of the finest fantasies ever realized
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on paper. Some of them are serious, some are funny, some are scary and some are all of these thing. Fortunately, the Milk is a fun, lighthearted adventure for children in which their own father plays the hero in his own completely ridiculous story. The father in the story reminds me of my grandpa, who always told me tall tales of his days as a cowboy in Texas, complete with horse thieves, sheriffs and armadillos. More fathers and grandfathers should tell stories. The father in the story, though his children don’t realize it, is cool and the illustration of him with the slightly crazy hair and the scarf casually wrapped round his neck do a great job of illustrating his coolness. The inventiveness of the story, throwing every kind of sci-fi and fantasy creature he can find in the mix, in order to explain why he took so long getting the milk for the children’s breakfast cereal is nothing less than whimsical. I was thoroughly entertained. If you, like me, are no good at making up your own stories, this story will be a more than suitable substitute for bedtime reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member bibliophile_pgh
This is a very short read...I think the best way of describing this book is fun!
LibraryThing member krau0098
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
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.
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member Othemts
We listened to this with the kids on a road trip this weekend, once in each direction. The narrator is a boy whose Dad goes out to buy milk at the corner store and after a long absence returns with an outlandish tale of where he'd been. His adventures include encounters with aliens in flying
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saucers, pirates, vampires, colorful ponies, and traveling as a companion to Professor Steg, a very wise stegosaurus. They travel through time, escape an erupting volcano, and never fail to hold on to the milk, all while on board a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier (a.k.a. a hot air balloon). It's all delightfully silly and a good follow-up to our previous favorite audio book for road trips, Gaiman's The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, which very likely features the same family. Show Less
LibraryThing member theWallflower
Also one I was surprised to see in my library's eCatalog. However, I think this works better as a paper book. There are some nice illustrations that go along with it, that are really too small in eBook form to be appreciated.
The story is one Neil Gaiman is famous for -- an ordinary schlub gets
The story is one Neil Gaiman is famous for -- an ordinary schlub gets
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caught up in whimsical adventures with weird, funny stuff. This time it takes a page from Roald Dahl. And while it's got plenty of funny bits, I don't feel it's destined to become a classic. Also, I'm not sure some of the more complex subjects (time travel and quantum mechanics figure heavily into the plot) will go under the heads of the target audience. I would never want someone to dumb things down for kids, but I feel like only a small portion of its readers will appreciate it. But that's no reason not to try. Show Less
LibraryThing member konastories
Joy's Review: A totally fun kids book about what happens to dad when he goes out to get some milk for their breakfast cereal. Great illustrations to support Dad's story of time travel a Professioral Stegosaurs and some green blobs from outer space that want to redecorate Earth.
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
A fantastic adventure with pirates, dinosaurs, time travel, aliens, and GREAT illustrations.
LibraryThing member mamzel
This is an adorable little book, begging to be shared with a youngster curled up next to you in a comfy chair. It is about a family whose mother has gone on a trip and left the narrator and his sister alone with their father. The only maternal direction he failed to follow was to get some milk so
It seems he encountered aliens, a stegosaurus in a hot air balloon, pirates, and natives with a volcano god but he always managed to hang on to the milk to bring to his children.
My only problem with the book is that I would have preferred a larger format. I would love to read it aloud to a class but the pictures are too small to hold up in front of an audience. It is delicious to read aloud, however.
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he goes out in the morning to the corner store. It takes him quite a while (according to the kids) to return and they demand an explanation. Which he provides.It seems he encountered aliens, a stegosaurus in a hot air balloon, pirates, and natives with a volcano god but he always managed to hang on to the milk to bring to his children.
My only problem with the book is that I would have preferred a larger format. I would love to read it aloud to a class but the pictures are too small to hold up in front of an audience. It is delicious to read aloud, however.
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LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
I'll admit right up front. I was disappointed in Fortunately, the Milk. Maybe I don't think like an elementary/middle schooler, but the again I loved the Graveyard Book and Coraline and Glueberry Girl
A father goes out to get milk for cereal one morning while a brother and sister wait impatiently
Skottie Young's pen and ink drawings were interesting. The story line was good but not outstanding. I don't know. Maybe I wasn't in the mood, although I read portions on two different days. Maybe my thoughts on day 1 impacted my thoughts on day 2. I was excited at the thought of reading it, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
A father goes out to get milk for cereal one morning while a brother and sister wait impatiently
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for his return. It seems to take forever. When he does return, with the milk, he has this fantastic story. He was abducted by aliens, rescued by a stegosaurus who designed a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier (hot-air balloon), met some monsters, did some time travel, etc. The only reason he was able to return to earth was the milk.Skottie Young's pen and ink drawings were interesting. The story line was good but not outstanding. I don't know. Maybe I wasn't in the mood, although I read portions on two different days. Maybe my thoughts on day 1 impacted my thoughts on day 2. I was excited at the thought of reading it, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
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LibraryThing member tapestry100
Neil Gaiman's latest, Fortunately, the Milk, is a goofy little tale of a father, a bottle of milk, some pirates, aliens, dinosaurs, vampires, and volcano gods, all steeped together in the space-time continuum.
One morning, a brother and sister find themselves with no milk for their breakfast
This would be a great book for a dad to read with his kids, but adults without children (like me) can enjoy it just as much. Recommended!
One morning, a brother and sister find themselves with no milk for their breakfast
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cereal, and their father, when realizing this means he also has no milk for his tea, decides to stop to the corner store for a bottle. When the father finally returns after making the children wait and wait, the story he has to tell of his adventures in keeping the bottle of milk safe for them is quite sensational, starting off with being abducted by aliens. What follows from there is an imaginative romp through space and time that is nothing but fun. There's nothing challenging here, and the story certainly doesn't take itself seriously. Skottie Young's stylized sketches throughout really highlight the story and add to the goofiness. He has a style that's uniquely all his own, and that style meshes with this story perfectly.This would be a great book for a dad to read with his kids, but adults without children (like me) can enjoy it just as much. Recommended!
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LibraryThing member capiam1234
A fathers white lie to cover up from being late or did it rally happen? Neil Gaiman once again gives us a crazy journey filled with vampires, pirates, aliens, piranhas, and dinosaurs. This crazy adventure needs to be read and heard to truly see the greatness that it is. From the perfect
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illustrations and storytelling to the narrating provided by Gaiman himself. Show Less
LibraryThing member jugglingpaynes
"Fortunately, the Milk" by Neil Gaiman is a short funny story about what happens when a father goes out to get milk for his children's breakfast cereal (and his tea). Imagine if Dr. Who settled down, had kids and went out to buy milk for them and you have this tale. The father's adventures with
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dinosaur Professor Steg move at a dizzying speed as dad tries to hold on to that milk and bring it back home for his children's cereal. The pictures are charming and remind me of Quentin Blake's work on Roald Dahl's books. There is great inspiration for creative writing here.I kept imagining how we could make up our own funny adventure stories about doing something simple that ends up getting complicated. It is recommended for 8-12, but I think even a five year old would enjoy it as a read aloud, with the humor only improving with age! Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
This is nothing like the other Neil Gaiman books I've read. This one is downright goofy with illustrations the fit the humor perfectly. Dad's adventures while trying to buy milk for the breakfast cereal are amazing. And not believed until the last illustration which show the kids picking up the
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milk bottle and discovering a pirate's coin. This would be a great read for a kid with a vivid imagination. Show Less
LibraryThing member BruceGargoyle
Okay. As a big Neil Gaiman fan, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this one unexpectedly. I've just knocked it over in one very short sitting, and I have to say, it reads like a cross between Douglas Adams and that game kids play where each person adds a random sentence in order to make a
Riddell's illustrations add greatly to the experience ... And am I mistaken in thinking that the father in the story looks suspiciously like the author himself?
Definitely recommended reading for those in the 8 - 12 years age bracket.
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story. I found it merely okay...BUT I am not in the target age group for this book, and I honestly think middle readers will thoroughly enjoy this offering.Riddell's illustrations add greatly to the experience ... And am I mistaken in thinking that the father in the story looks suspiciously like the author himself?
Definitely recommended reading for those in the 8 - 12 years age bracket.
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LibraryThing member ARQuay
After reading Neil Gaiman’s latest, it appears that Mr. Gaiman was trying to dissuade any doubts that he might be lacking an imagination (although anyone familiar with his previous work, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, or The Sandman Series could never think such a ludicrous thing). Fortunately,
Fortunately, the Milk is guided by an elaborate tale concocted by the father of two children, who, while Mom is away, was tasked with one simple errand: to purchase the titular milk. Attempting to describe what happens between the father’s departure and his return runs the risk of spoiling the joyful ridiculousness of his adventures. Readers transitioning to chapter books will find it hard to be bored by this story, yet it may prove a little hard for inexperienced readers to keep events in order.
In the interest of full disclosure, this reviewer must admit that she may have been swayed by the striking similarities between this tale and the nighttime stories that were improvised by her father when she was small. With that in mind, Fortunately, the Milk may also be a good gift for any parent who shares this characteristic, to thank them for their efforts no matter how many times it made the listeners roll their eyes.
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The Milk is imaginative on the level of a fever dream; silly and kooky, with events happening so quickly and jumping so erratically from one outrageous situation to the next that the reader may find themselves exhausted by the book’s end. Fortunately, the Milk is guided by an elaborate tale concocted by the father of two children, who, while Mom is away, was tasked with one simple errand: to purchase the titular milk. Attempting to describe what happens between the father’s departure and his return runs the risk of spoiling the joyful ridiculousness of his adventures. Readers transitioning to chapter books will find it hard to be bored by this story, yet it may prove a little hard for inexperienced readers to keep events in order.
In the interest of full disclosure, this reviewer must admit that she may have been swayed by the striking similarities between this tale and the nighttime stories that were improvised by her father when she was small. With that in mind, Fortunately, the Milk may also be a good gift for any parent who shares this characteristic, to thank them for their efforts no matter how many times it made the listeners roll their eyes.
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LibraryThing member molbhall
A father goes to the store to buy milk for his children’s breakfast but ends up getting a lot more adventure than he bargained for. The story is framed by the son’s point of view but is mostly told by the father to his children. The book has a lot of time travel, which is pretty rare in a
The illustrations are incredibly whimsical and appealing. The details and curves amp up the playfulness of this book. Images are arranged in interesting ways to break up the text for young chapter book readers. The use of different fonts adds to the silliness of everything. The characters are very cartoony, with exaggerated features. Illustrations of some native people seem to compile many stereotypes, but otherwise there is nothing objectionable here. For the right reader, this book could spark further interest in science fiction and in reading bigger novels.
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chapter book for young readers and shows Gaiman’s respect for his audience’s intelligence. Though the plot and vocabulary maybe be a little tricky, there is not as much text as a middle grade book. This could be a transitional chapter book for a child who has an interest in science fiction.The illustrations are incredibly whimsical and appealing. The details and curves amp up the playfulness of this book. Images are arranged in interesting ways to break up the text for young chapter book readers. The use of different fonts adds to the silliness of everything. The characters are very cartoony, with exaggerated features. Illustrations of some native people seem to compile many stereotypes, but otherwise there is nothing objectionable here. For the right reader, this book could spark further interest in science fiction and in reading bigger novels.
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LibraryThing member sbloom42
I love any sort of time travel story, and this one was great fun. It's an easy read and bits about passing of the milk back and forth through time is really inventive. I also liked that the father isn't aloof and is both willing to listen to his children and to meet them on their level, and that
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even when it appears that he's aloof he's really paying attention to his wife's every word. It's a welcome respite from the usual presentation in the media of fathers who can't handle childcare or house care and are just bumbling fools when they're away from "man's work". Fortunately, I was given this book; fortunately, I read it; and fortunately, I'm recommended you do the same. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rachel.Seltz
Ages 8-12.
Mom is out of town and there is no milk in the fridge for breakfast. Dad goes out to the corner store to buy some. He returns with a fantastic tale of having been waylaid by home re-decorating aliens, pirates, “wumpires,” an angry volcano god and a time-traveling, literal-minded
Readers who agree to take a leap of faith on this wonderfully odd tale will be rewarded. Gaiman handles the disjointed nature of a broken time-space continuum deftly yet not too seriously. The way that the disparate pieces of the narrative click into place is quite satisfying. The milk, as the title suggests, is key to many zany solutions.
Young’s ink illustrations heighten the inanity of the story. They are purposefully messy yet fascinating in the same vein as the whimsical tale. Readers will want to pause and examine Young’s depictions, including his representations of the quirkily garbed pirate queen, the bizarre mechanisms of the hot air balloon, and eerie “wumpires” with craning necks and funky teeth.
Gaiman gives readers an eccentric, gleeful celebration of family storytelling. He encourages storytellers’ to keep spinning their imaginative tales, whether the audience is skeptical or believing. A delightful read. Recommended.
Mom is out of town and there is no milk in the fridge for breakfast. Dad goes out to the corner store to buy some. He returns with a fantastic tale of having been waylaid by home re-decorating aliens, pirates, “wumpires,” an angry volcano god and a time-traveling, literal-minded
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stegosaurus in a hot air balloon. Readers who agree to take a leap of faith on this wonderfully odd tale will be rewarded. Gaiman handles the disjointed nature of a broken time-space continuum deftly yet not too seriously. The way that the disparate pieces of the narrative click into place is quite satisfying. The milk, as the title suggests, is key to many zany solutions.
Young’s ink illustrations heighten the inanity of the story. They are purposefully messy yet fascinating in the same vein as the whimsical tale. Readers will want to pause and examine Young’s depictions, including his representations of the quirkily garbed pirate queen, the bizarre mechanisms of the hot air balloon, and eerie “wumpires” with craning necks and funky teeth.
Gaiman gives readers an eccentric, gleeful celebration of family storytelling. He encourages storytellers’ to keep spinning their imaginative tales, whether the audience is skeptical or believing. A delightful read. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member rakerman
Nicely absurd. Could be amusing if read out loud well. Good opportunity to be silly.
LibraryThing member Milda-TX
Whimsical story with adorable illustrations - imagine it's perfect for reading aloud in silly voices. Lovely book to help me start off 2014 with a smile.
LibraryThing member pratchettfan
A fantastically funny tale with astonishing illustrations by Chris Riddell!
LibraryThing member AaronPt
This is an unusually lighthearted book for Neil Gaiman, an author whose work usually verges on horror. There are vampires and aliens who threaten to take over the world but the tone is always whimsical. The book takes its structure from the rambling tall tales told by parents as well as perhaps
Chris Riddell's illustrations in the UK edition are marvelous, contain the funniest parts of the book,and add a great deal to the read. Anyone who enjoys well-written silliness will no doubt get a kick out of this little book.
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nonsense poetry; I definitely sensed the influence of Edward Lear in parts. This makes it a refreshing and fun read, although it might seem a bit lightweight in comparison to Neil Gaiman's other works.Chris Riddell's illustrations in the UK edition are marvelous, contain the funniest parts of the book,and add a great deal to the read. Anyone who enjoys well-written silliness will no doubt get a kick out of this little book.
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LibraryThing member simchaboston
Amusing light fantasy and a good choice for bedtime reading, though a little expensive for how short a story it is. I think I probably would've liked the UK version's illustrations better -- the pictures of the tribal characters in this are definitely politically incorrect.
LibraryThing member mstrust
With his two kids telling him that there is no milk for their breakfast cereal, Dad walks down to the corner store and buys a bottle. But then he is sucked into an alien spaceship, which leads him to a pirate ship, a time-traveling dinosaur, tribesmen looking for a sacrifice and a city of hungry
The illustrations by Skottie Young fit perfectly with this adventure story. It seems like a bed-time story a parent with an extremely good imagination would tell their kids for that "Look what I go through for you," moment at the end.
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wumpires. All the dad wants to do is get the kids their milk.The illustrations by Skottie Young fit perfectly with this adventure story. It seems like a bed-time story a parent with an extremely good imagination would tell their kids for that "Look what I go through for you," moment at the end.
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Awards
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2016)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Children's — 2016)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2015)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2015)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Elementary — 2016)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Honor Book — 2015)
Bluestem Award (Nominee — 2016)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2016)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 2016)
British Book Award (Shortlist — Children's Book — 2013)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2015)
Independent Booksellers' Book Prize (Shortlist — Children's Fiction — 2014)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — Middle Readers — 2015)
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2016)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration (Nominee — 2015)
The White Ravens (2014)
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Nominee — 2016)
Lectio Book Award (Nominee — 2018)
Junior Library Guild Selections (Selection)
The Best Children's Books of the Year (Nine to Twelve — 2014)
Idaho Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2020)
Great Texas Mosquito List (2017)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Fiction for Younger Readers — 2013)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013-09-17
Physical description
128 p.; 5 inches
ISBN
0062224085 / 9780062224088