When I purchased Fortunately, the Milk at the MIBF last year, I had planned to gift it to a young reader. I decided to give it on Christmas, so I could have a chance to read it before then. I, unfortunately, forgot about that plan and bought a different gift for aforementioned recipient, and only remembered that I still had the book when I was looking for a short book to read after Armada. I don't know if what happened was bad, because I ended up buying an extra book to gift and it meant my memory is horrible, or if it was good, because I now have a copy of Fortunately, the Milk.
I knew that at some point I was going to purchase a copy for myself (or the family library), so that I could read it to the kids someday. For now, it goes on the bookshelf. Where I can easily find it for a quick, enjoyable read. Which would probably be repeated many times over in the future.
When your dad takes a while getting home with the milk he bought, you can expect that he would have an excuse. And while running into delays, such as forgetting the actual milk, meeting people or having to do something else, is a common excuse, what isn't common is the story of meeting aliens, a time-traveling stegosaurus, wumpires and an angry volcano god as the source of the delay. All while holding a milk bottle that his children wanted for their breakfast cereal and he direly needed for his tea.
I have yet to read all of Neil Gaiman's writing, but I've read enough over the years to appreciate the distinctive tone of his writing. No matter how varied the subject of his stories or the genres he would cover in his writing, you know that it's his singular voice that you are reading. It's the same when it comes to his writing for different age groups. And not a single one disappoints, even if you're reading something meant for children.
Just looking at the cover and reading the title, you just know that Fortunately, the Milk will be a fun read. The book is a wonderful mix of imagination and humor, with the father weaving his unbelievable story of why he was late getting home with the milk. He encounters time traveling characters, not-of-this-Earth characters, and mythical creatures in his supposedly unfortunate adventure while running an errand. The story is as grand as it is silly, and I couldn't keep the smile of my face while I read it. It's not hard to imagine sharing the book with the little one when she's a little older and would still let me read to her.
I'm purposefully keeping my post short, because, given the book's also short length (I finished it in less than half an hour), to delve more into the happy reading experience I derived from Fortunately, the Milk might end up sharing more information than I should, which could sour your own reading experience if you haven't gotten around to it just yet. I will reserve the lengthier post for my thoughts on The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which I re-read before the year ended.
You don't have to be a kid or have one to enjoy Fortunately, the Milk. It's good for a quick read, but you will find that you won't be quick to forget it afterwards.
Happy reading!!
P.S. I was supposed to post this Monday (and announced it via Instagram story, too), but with the little one off to toddler class for the first time and me being OC preparing for it, I realized far too late that I forgot to click on the Publish button. :PLabels: Adventure, Books, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Fiction, Fortunately the Milk, Neil Gaiman, Reading List, Sci-fi
