Fortunately, The Milk
written by Neil Gaiman
This is the same guy who wrote American Gods, and believe me when I say the similarities begin and end there. Gaiman is an excellent writer and shows his skills and imagination off in this delightful story of adventure, danger, time-travel, abduction, prophecy, invasion, and refurbishing with the highest stakes of all; retrieving milk.
One morning two children open up the fridge to find that there is no milk for their cereal. Their father gallantly steps up and leaves to get them all some milk to save breakfast. When the father returns home, the children ask what kept him so long, and he tells them the tale, which did not begin with a neighbor starting a long conversation, but with an alien abduction that starts a rich adventure.
The father shares his wacky and spontaneous journey from the moment he picked up the milk to when he arrives back home, and what a detour he took. As he tells of pirates and dinosaurs, and floaty-ball-person-carriers, he inserts reminders about the milk. He would say things like, "I was Falling. Fortunately, I had kept a tight hold of the milk". No matter how perilous his travels may be it's nice to know the milk was safe.
This is a completely charming book perfect for children an adults that serves as a great reminder of how imagination can make a great story out of anything, even fetching the milk. And if you liked A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy then you'll surely like this book. To share more of the plot would be a travesty, so discover it for yourselves and know you're in for a fantastic read. So get ready for an adventure with Professor Steg, grab your cereal and milk, open this book, and remember, “Where there is milk, there is hope.”
