Fortunately, the Milk

Depending upon how you look at things, my kids are either very fortunate or dismally unfortunate. They get great stories all the time about, well, everything. So there is the story about the Troll Bridge and Goblin Town and, now, there is an excavation into Goblin Town going on that I haven't remembered to go take pictures of, yet, but I need to so that I can do a post on that, and, of course, DRAGONS! Sometimes, especially my daughter, the kids get exasperated with me because they have such a difficult time getting merely mundane answers from me. Sometimes, I almost feel bad about that. Sometimes. I mean, no one has ever just gone to the store or gone outside to play or, even, just gone to the bathroom. He's been abducted by aliens. And, when he comes back, he's been replaced by a robot duplicate or, possibly, a clone. We're never just having chicken for dinner; we're having dinosaur or, depending upon how many times I've been asked that question, one of the children. And I might would feel bad about it except I hear my children, delightedly, repeating those stories to their friends. All of that to say that I loved Neil Gaiman's new book, Fortunately, the Milk, about a father who has to go to the corner store to get milk for his kids' breakfast cereal (because, otherwise, they would have to use orange juice, which is not okay on cereal) and get abducted by aliens on the way home. This was a story after my own heart. It also has dinosaurs. My own stories don't have enough dinosaurs, I don't think. It's an illustrated book but not, really, a picture book. The one I have, the American version, is illustrated by Skottie Young. His art is whimsical and funky and fits well with the tone of the book. That does not stop me from also wanting the UK version of the book, illustrated by Chris Riddell, which is not so funky but looks no less interesting. Not that I will be getting a copy of the UK version, because I don't want to pay the shipping on it. So, yes, the story is whimsical and funky and just a lot of fun, taking off at weird tangents. It has everything you could possibly want from a story like this: aliens, dinosaurs, pirates, time travel... okay, well, it doesn't have cowboys, so I guess it doesn't have everything, but it has an awful lot. If you have young kids (or, even, if you don't), this is a great book to pick up. I'm sure it would make an excellent bedtime reading book. Even though I don't have young kids, I may make mine sit down and listen to it anyway. Maybe, that way they'll know I'm not the only one that does this.

I recommend this book highly for kids and adults, especially those who love wildly improbable (or inevitable?) stories involving time travel, fantastical creatures, and especially breakfast cereal. The story kept me laughing out loud with delight, and the illustrations are very expressive and funny. I wish I had a hundred more books like this one in my library. Well done, Mr. Gaiman and Skottie the illustrator!

"Fortunately, the Milk" is a charming children's book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young. The story revolves around a father who goes out to buy milk for his children and encounters a series of whimsical and fantastical adventures along the way. He meets various intriguing characters, including aliens, dinosaurs, and time travelers, as he tries to return home with the milk. The book is known for its humor, imaginative plot, and engaging illustrations, making it a delightful read for both children and adults. Gaiman's playful storytelling and unique narrative style have made this book a favorite among young readers.

I think the publisher should immediately print up some "Fortunately, the Milk" t-shirts with a logo and the quote, "Where There's Milk, There's Hope!" I only love me some Neil Gaiman (comics, novels, short stories AND, best of all, children's books -- prose type or picture books, doesn't matter). I enjoyed the hell out of OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, and I thought CHU'S DAY OUT was so cute I bought a copy for a friend, but my pick for BEST NEIL GAIMAN BOOK OF 2013 (and maybe the best book of the century) is definitely, FORTUNATELY, THE MILK. Personally, I LOVE the Chris Riddell illustrations in the British edition the most (the U.S. version, I have a copy of each, is illustrated by Skottie Young, and those illustrations are wild and fun in their own right). This book has been on the (Middle age Chilren's) NYTimes bestseller list for two months and counting and deservedly so! It's just whimsical as hell, and does a great job displaying both the sense of wonder and the craft inherent in the act of story-telling. My daughter -- who read it after me -- swears Mr. Gaiman has been following me around for the last decade or so (apparently I, too, stop and talk to local shop persons and even strangers, often returning HOURS after I'm expected back; and I seem to have a propensity for telling whoppers). I don't want to dissect it any further, because that would be like pulling the wings off of a mayfly, but I would like to say that I only loved Prof. Steg and the Wumpires. And I only love those last lines from dad, about how he can prove it all really happened. :) Now, I must traverse the staircase in our home, past Austrialio-pithecine-like spiders, being careful not to awaken the six-foot plus Kangaroo which often sleeps near our doorstep at nights (we call him Kongaroo) and go in search of something to drink. Fortunately, there's chocolate milk in the fridge.

I bought this as a gift for my nephew, and he really enjoyed it. The story is funny and full of wild twists that kept him interested the whole way through. It has a very imaginative and playful style that makes it easy to read and fun from start to finish. The humor stands out a lot, and the unexpected moments throughout the story kept him engaged and entertained. It is the kind of book that feels creative, clever, and memorable, making it a great pick for young readers.

That's the best way I can sum this up. Fortunately, The Milk is a funny, silly adventure that reminds me of nothing more than the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The style of zany absurdist comedy combined with a romp through space and time is just too strong a resemblance to be a coincidence. Given that Neil Gaiman knew Douglas Adams in life, I would say it's likely an homage to his work. This was the latest pick for me and my son to read together and discuss. We are both Neil Gaiman fans and both enjoyed it thoroughly. A significant change of pace from his usual genre, but very well done. Mr. Gaiman is a master of his craft, and I can't wait until my son is old enough for me to introduce his other works.

This is a very quick paced and witty book, enjoyable while you read it, but after you've finished I'm afraid you'll have little recollection of what had actually happened. This is partly because it is so quick paced and filled with absurd, quirky events, but also because all of the things that happen here to our protagonist ( the dad who went out for milk and got abducted by aliens ) do not, for even one instant, seem real, and we don't care, for even one instant, what's gonna happen to him. I would say it's the literary equivalent to a big summer blockbuster movie - you go to have some fun, there's big action big explosions and big everything, but it's not what you'd call quality cinema. I'm a big, big fan of children's literature. I buy children's books for my sake as well as for my children's sake and I prefer books that leave an impression on you - Plots you get involved in, characters you care about, and when the book ends you feel you want to start it all over again. This book does not even come close to that. It will leave you untouched and I'm not sure you'll ever want to re read it. I know some people have compared Gaiman to Douglas Adams, but in my opinion he falls ( very ) short in that comparison. True, they do share witty and quirky sense of humor but Adams could make you roar with laughter and also make you care deeply for what happened to his characters. My children's verdict was that the book was "fun and interesting" " The end was funny" but other than that the book sparked no discussion. I might also add that we've all enjoyed the whacky illustrations.

As soon as this book arrived at our house I sat down and read it. We are HUGE Neil Gaiman fans around here. As I giggled my way through the adorably illustrated quirky story my kids wanted to look at the pictures and know what all the laughter was about. I wouldn't let them even have a peek. I would answer, "Stegosaurus", "Pirates!" or "Wumpire!" and they would look at me curiously. After I finished reading it, start to finish, I went back and looked at the wonderful illustrations again. (and giggled some more) My daughter, eagerly took her turn reading it. She's now read it three times and loves it. She's reading "The Graveyard Book" during her personal reading time and adores that too. This is a great read aloud book, or a great cuddle up and read to yourself book. The family is beautiful, the plot is fun and engaging, the illustrations are wonderful, the book is quite worth buying. It's very creative and engaging from start to finish. Invest in the hardback copy, it will be well-read in your household too.

I think the publisher should immediately print up some "Fortunately, the Milk" t-shirts with a logo and the quote, "Where There's Milk, There's Hope!" I only love me some Neil Gaiman (comics, novels, short stories AND, best of all, children's books -- prose type or picture books, doesn't matter). I enjoyed the hell out of OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, and I thought CHU'S DAY OUT was so cute I bought a copy for a friend, but my pick for BEST NEIL GAIMAN BOOK OF 2013 (and maybe the best book of the century) is definitely, FORTUNATELY, THE MILK. My daughter -- who read it after me -- swears Mr. Gaiman has been following me around for the last decade or so (apparently I, too, stop and talk to local shop persons and even strangers, often returning HOURS after I'm expected back; and I seem to have a propensity for telling whoppers). I don't want to dissect it any further, because that would be like pulling the wings off of a mayfly, but I would like to say that I only loved Prof. Steg and the Wumpires. And I only love those last lines from dad, about how he can prove it all really happened. :) Personally, I LOVE the Chris Riddell illustrations in the British edition the most (I also have a copy of the U.S. version, illustrations by Skottie Young). This book has been on the (Middle age Chilren's) NYTimes bestseller list for two months and counting and deservedly so! It's just whimsical as hell, and does a great job displaying both the sense of wonder and the craft inherent in the act of story-telling. Now, I must traverse the staircase in our home, past Austrialio-pithecine-like spiders, being careful not to awaken the six-foot plus Kangaroo which often sleeps near our doorstep at nights (we call him Kongaroo) and go in search of something to drink. Fortunately, there's chocolate milk in the fridge.

Fortunately, the milk é simples de se ler em inglês, possui um vocabulário e utiliza de tempos verbais bem simples, só que a história tem que ser lida bem calmamente, porque ela dá um grandíssimo nó em nossas cabeças, pós tem viajem no tempo envolvida na história toda. Felizmente, o leite ou Fortunately, the milk é um livro infantil escrito pelo Neil Gaiman (o mesmo escritor de Deuses Americanos, Sandman, etc.). Neil Gaiman é o meu autor favorito, e esse é de longe um dos livros mais simples e surpreendentes do Gaiman (lembre-se, mais simples e surpreendente. Deuses Americanos, Sandman, Coraline, etc, não são simples mas são surpreendente.), e é uma história destinada para o público infantil, mas óbvio que um adulto pode muito bem aproveitá-la. Muito divertido. O livro conta a história de duas crianças que a muito estão esperando o pai que foi comprar leite para eles comerem o cereal, o pai, como já foi citado antes, estava demorando muito, e quando ele finalmente chegou, contou uma mirabolante história de o porquê ele ter se atrasado, e essa história contem piratas, dinossauros, ETs, etc. Esse é um livro muito legal, tanto para ler sozinho quanto para ler para uma criança! Esse livro foi o primeiro que eu li em inglês, por isso eu tenho um carinho maior ainda por ele!

It all starts when two kids realize there is no milk in the house and can’t have their cereals. Fortunately, their super-amazing dad offers to walk to the store and bring back a bottle of milk. They wait for him for a long long time until he finally comes home. He, obviously, has a great reason to be so late. That’s when the dad tells them his story: he was kidnapped by aliens, and then found himself among pirates, rescued by a talking/time-travelling dinosaur… There are so many things I can’t even remember. It’s hilarious, creative, great both for kids and for adults, and the illustrations are beautiful.

Ich habe das Buch innerhalb eines halben Nachmittags ratz-fatz verschlungen. (Natürlich nicht wörtlich, denn mir war die Milch dazu ausgegangen und so trocken kriegt man ein Buch ja bekanntlich schlecht herunter, selbst wenn man es aus seinem quietschbunten, metallic-glänzendem Einband schält.) Schade, dass die Story so kurz ist. Aber "Fortunately, the milk..." ist ja auch eigentlich ein Kinderbuch. Ich kann es allerdings auch jedem Erwachsenen nur empfehlen: Die liebenswerten, etwas schrägen Charaktere und die herrlichen Illustrationen machen wirklich Spaß und Gaimans Humor ist nunmal einfach köstlich. Ich werde das Buch definitiv weitergeben, in der deutschen Übersetzung als Geschenk für ein Grundschulkind und im Original an einen Bekannten, der leider nach der Schulzeit kaum noch Englisch kann, aber gern noch mal einsteigen würde (wie er sagt). Mir gefällt daran, dass es inhaltlich nicht zu langweilig oder kindlich für Erwachsene ist, sprachlich aber ein recht einfaches Niveau hat. Ich werde es selbst auch sicher noch mehrere Male durchlesen, denn "Fortunately, the milk..." zaubert gewiss nicht nur beim ersten Lesen ein Schmunzeln auf die Lippen und lockt noch ein paar schallende Lacher hervor!

Harika bir kitap bugün geldi okudum, bebeğim için aldım ilk kitaplığı için. Mükemmel bir baskı bence kapıdı çok güzel, çizimler dahiyane. Neil Gaiman’ın dili zaten belli. Ayrıca amazon’un kendi gönderdiği kitaplar mükemmel durumda geliyorlar, ingilizce kitap söylediğim zaman ilk baktığım yer amazon. Hem istediğim baskıyı buluyorum, hem fiyatı doğru, hem de çok çok hızlı geliyor. Bu kitap 24 saatte geldi. Haftasonu girmedigi surece 1-2 gün benim gözlemim.