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Fortunately, the Milk
Common Sense says
- Neil Gaiman
- Fantasy
- 2013
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (Coraline, The Graveyard Book) is a goofy, high-spirited fantasy adventure that pinballs from one unlikely scenario to another. The milk-seeking father meets dinosaurs, pirates, aliens, volcano gods, and other assorted obstacles, but he maintains a cheerful attitude, even when faced with the end the universe. Gaiman's witty prose and Skottie Young's wacky illustrations combine to make an off-kilter crowd-pleaser.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Have lost count of how many times we've gotten this out of the library
Great fun!
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: Neil Gaiman
- Illustrator: Skottie Young
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Dinosaurs, Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Ocean Creatures, Pirates, Space and Aliens
- 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, iBooks, Kindle
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.