Fortunately, the Milk

July 15, 2013
In a letter to readers, Gaiman explains that his rationale for writing this story, about a father who has taken an excessively long time to return from the corner store with milk for his children’s breakfast, stems from his reconsideration of the father in The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. That dad, he realized, is “not really a positive portrayal of fatherhood”—he is a lump. To compensate, “I would write a book in which a father did all of the sorts of exciting things that fathers actually do.” He may have to try again: the father in this story is abducted by aliens, made to walk the plank by pirates, and rescued by a stegosaurus in a balloon, among other outrageous escapades. It reads like an extemporaneous riff by a clever father asked a question he doesn’t want to answer, and it makes an excellent gift for those heroic fathers who consider reading aloud to their children one of parenthood’s greatest joys. Young’s wiry, exuberant b&w caricatures (not all seen by PW) are incorporated throughout. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House.

Starred review from March 1, 2014

Gr 3-7-A mum leaves for a conference, leaving her son and daughter in the care of their dad while she is away. Before she leaves, the dad assures her he has everything under control. And he does for the most part. But, he forgets one simple thing: the milk. Facing the possibilty of having no milk for the kids' cereal or, more importantly, for his own tea, dad leaves to pick up the breakfast staple from the corner store. When he finally returns with the milk later that morning, he has quite an amazing, time-twisting, mind-bending tale to tell. It is a yarn replete with planet-remodeling aliens, savage pirates, blood-thirsty "wumpires," a time-travelling dinosaur scientist, and dancing elves, with touches of humor, philosophy, and feminism. The story is told from the son's point of view, who interjects his father's storytelling with occasional questions and skeptical comments. Gaiman also narrates, and is a committed, energetic storyteller. While it is a fast-paced, rip-roaring adventure, brief mention of throat-slitting, use of guns, and talk of human sacrifice make this recording not quite suitable for the the smallest members of the family. Hilarious, captivating, and just plain fun, this is a production not to miss.-Jennifer Verbrugge, State Library Services, Roseville, MN

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Publishers used to say, "If you read only one book this year, make it this one." Gaiman has tried to write the only book anyone will need, ever, packing into it every adventure story written in the past 300 years. The book seems to include every plot on TVTropes.org. There's a time machine. There are "wumpires" and pirates. The story is simple: A father goes to the store to buy milk. The only trouble is, he's kidnapped by aliens, and by the end of the book, he's being threatened by dancing dwarfs. Sometimes the book feels like a personal bet between the writer and the illustrator: "But can you draw this?" Young is always up to the challenge, no matter what gets thrown at him. He makes pirates look both dangerous and adorable. But once in a while, readers may wish that the author would stop throwing things. The best scene in the book is brief and quiet. The father asks a time-traveling stegosaurus where all the dinosaurs went. "The stars," professor Steg says. "That is where we will have gone." Frenetic as the story is, it's hard not to love a novel that borrows equally from Calvin and Hobbes and The Usual Suspects. If you read only one book this year, a story with dancing dwarfs is always a wise choice. (Adventure. 8-12)

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July 1, 2013
Grades 3-6 A little boy and his little sister awake one morning, milkless. Their mother is away on business, their father is buried in the paper, and their Toastios are dry. What are young siblings to do? They impress upon their father that his tea is also without milk and sit back to watch their plan take effect. But something goes amiss, and their father doesn't return and doesn't return some more. When he does, finally, he has a story to tell, a story involving aliens; pirates; ponies; wumpires (not the handsome, brooding kind); and a stegosaurus professor who pilots a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier (which looks suspiciously like a hot-air balloon). There is time travel, treachery, and ample adventure, and, fortunately, the milk he has procured is rescued at every turn. Gaiman's oversize, tongue-in-cheek narrative twists about like the impromptu nonsense it is, with quick turns, speed bumps, and one go-for-broke dairy deus ex machina. Young fills the pages with sketchy, highly stylized images, stretched and pointy, bringing the crazed imaginations to life with irrepressible energy. Children will devour this one, with or without milk. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A national media campaign and select author appearances are on the docket to celebrate the release of Newbery Awardwinning Gaiman's latest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)