Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Absurd time-and-space-spanning romp an easy, funny read.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When a father runs out to buy some milk for his son and daughter's breakfast, he comes back with an extraordinary story. It involves a stegosaurus in a hot air balloon, space aliens that want to redecorate our planet, a vengeful volcano god, and some pirates and piranhas. Is he just making excuses, or should his children believe him?
Is It Any Good?
Neil Gaiman, the author of Coraline and The Graveyard Book, delivers another winning adventure tale for readers of all ages. What starts as a simple errand to pick up some milk turns into an elaborate, joke-heavy shaggy-dog story, full of the kinds of characters -- pirates, dinosaurs, and aliens -- that children in particular love. FORTUNATELY, THE MILK is absurd, Skottie Young's illustrations are action-packed and wacky, and the result is a goofy crowd-pleaser.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether mothers and fathers have different ideas about parenting. Why do they consider some household chores very important and others less so?
Why are stories about dinosaurs so popular with kids? Why are they interested in vampires? Pirates? Space aliens?
Do adults ever make up stories about what they do all day?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Skottie Young
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs , Ocean Creatures ) , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Pirates
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date : September 17, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 17
- Number of pages : 128
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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