Fortunately, the Milk - Neil Gaiman

Fortunately, the Milk - Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Chris Riddell
ISBN - 9781408841761
Publisher - Bloomsbury Childrens
Release date - September 17th 2013
Find - Goodreads/Book Depository/AmazonUK/AmazonUS

'You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do. And the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets. So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.

Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, and a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk.' - Goodreads

Anyone who knows me at all will know anything Neil Gaiman publishes is immediately snapped up by me! I can't help it, there are very few authors that write both children's and adult fiction who do it so effortlessly. Switching between the two without so much as a hiccup! Fortunately, the Milk was on top of my 'Neil Gaiman want' list as soon as I heard there were dinosaurs, aliens and vampires wumpires involved and that Chris Riddell was illustrating the UK version (Skottie Young illustrated the US version). 

Dad is in charge whilst Mum is away at a conference, naturally you know something is going to go wrong and it does - they run out of milk for their cereal. The impetus for Dad to go to the shop though is knowing he can't have milk in his tea! When he doesn't return the children start to wonder what's happened. Talking to a neighbor? Gone to a different shop? Kidnapped by aliens? It might just be the last one..

There were an amazing array of characters - intergalactic dinosaur police, wumpires, ancient civilizations worshipping the Eye of Splod, pirates, aliens that look like snot and all fabulously illustrated and brought to life on every page. When Dad (Riddell's illustration of Dad looks remarkably like a certain Mr. Gaiman) returns and starts relaying his tale neither of his children believe him but you just never know what a carton of milk might have to do. Neil's writing is both hilarious and beautiful, although Fortunately is a short book it will keep you - and any children that you might like to share the book with - completely entertained from start to finish! I've bought a finished copy for myself and I'm about to buy another copy for the twins for Christmas, I can't wait to read this one to them and tell them all about Professor Steg, his Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier and a wumpire called Pale & Interesting Edvard!

Many thanks to Bloomsbury, via Netgalley, for providing me with a copy of Fortunately, the Milk...