Fortunately, The Milk... By Neil Gaiman, illustrated Chris Riddell,Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2013

"This is quite possibly the most exciting adventure ever to be written about milk since Tolstoy's epic novel War and Milk. Also it has aliens, pirates, dinosaurs and wumpires in it (but not the handsome, misunderstood kind), also a never-adequately-explained-bowl-of-piranhas, not to mention a Volcano God." - Neil Gaiman's web site

What else can I say? Mum goes to work. Dad has to go out for a carton of milk because otherwise there will be none to put in his tea or on the children's breakfast cereal. He comes back quite some time later, clutching the carton of milk and with a bizarre story to explain his long absence - being abducted by aliens who want to conquer - and redecorate - the planet, rescued by a time travelling dinosaur professor and going on a scary adventure involving all of the above and somehow retaining the milk. Is he telling the truth or, as the children suspect, is it a load of rubbish? Decide for yourself.

It's a funny, cheeky, over-the-top story for younger readers and, I suspect, for the adults who are reading it with them. Indeed, if you're familiar with Neil Gaiman and what he looks like, you may notice that the Dad in Chris Riddell's delightful cartoons looks a lot like the author. 

I received this review copy on a day when I was home in bed with a nasty cold, feeling miserable, and it cheered me right up. Thank you, Neil and Chris!