Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young

—Harper, 2013

–128 pages, hardcover and audiobook

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Happy is he who still loves something he loved in the nursery: He has not been broken in two by time; he is not two men, but one, and he has saved not only his soul but his life. ~G.K. Chesterton

In my earliest remembrances, my mother read to us from large, hardcover children’s books featuring the Peanuts characters.

My affection for the illustrations of Edward Gorey are certainly related to his talent, yet the affection runs deeper because of their association with illustrated young adult collections of ghost stories I read in the quiet of my room on cold winter nights.

To this day I am drawn to children’s stories, particularly those with illustrations that jump start young imaginations. Where in my childhood any children’s book might be attractive, today I collect children’s books and illustrated young adult novels first and foremost for their art, and then for their story.

Which brings us to a wonderful collaboration of the two, Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young.

Fortunately, The Milk tells the story of an occasionally inattentive father, least while reading the newspaper, as he relates to his young son and daughter the adventures through time and space he experienced while on an ordinary trip to the corner store for a bottle of milk.  Many, many characters and creatures that inhabit the imaginations of children and adults alike make an appearance in these pages, but to say more would spoil the adventure.

Fortunately, The Milk was on my Christmas list, and when it was overlooked by Santa Claus, I promptly ordered it for myself. I have been savoring it for a quiet day when I could get lost in the words and pictures: today was that day.  My experience of Fortunately, The Milk was one in which I employed multiple senses, for I also purchased the audio version and allowed Neil Gaiman himself to read it to me.  The combination of the feeling of the book in hand, the smell of the pages, the fun, detailed illustrations and the aural pleasure of Neil Gaiman’s expressive narration acted as my own portal back in time, allowing me to experience the story in a child-like manner while also appreciating the skill of Gaiman’s prose and the artistic talent of Skottie Young.

Young’s illustrations are present on every page and they reward more than a cursory glance, for there is a lot of detail here, all of which is in service of the story.  Harper did a beautiful job of creating a book-as-art.  The book cover, underneath the dust jacket, has a little something extra.  The paper has a nice heft to it.  At various places within the book the font itself is rendered artistically to create emphasis as well as visual interest.  The book is a lovely size and the illustrations are crisp, clear and show fine detail quite well.

It can be easy to write off children’s literature as lacking complexity.  In defense of what can be read as just a simple adventure story, I was impressed with the way in which Neil Gaiman drew in the various time lines from the time travel bits of the story.  I was not expecting that level of attention to the narrative structure, perhaps reflecting my own prejudices towards children’s literature creeping in, despite my knowing better.

Fortunately, The Milk offers a delight on every page and a story that will make you smile, even more so if you are a parent yourself.  In case you need any more convincing, check out this fun book trailer:

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Neil Gaiman is an author whose works have won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Bram Stoker award. His children’s fiction has been awarded the Newbery and Carnegie medal. He set the World Fantasy Award committee on edge when his Sandman arc, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, illustrated by Charles Vess, became the only comic book to win that award. Neil Gaiman’s latest adult novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, recently won the Book of the Year award. Neil Gaiman repeatedly proves that his imagination is boundless, and perhaps the only thing more pleasurable than reading his fiction is to experience him reading it aloud via the audiobook narration of his works.

Skottie Young is an American illustrator best known for his work on the Eisner Award winning comic series, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He has also done work for Marvel Comics. Young’s illustrations are consistently fun. He can draw/ink in a way in which the lines are tight, creating crisp illustration and he is equally adept at doing loose work that is every bit as engaging. I will warn you, a visit to his website can be fraught with peril as you will find yourself whisked away through illustration after illustration and you won’t know where the time went. Nor will you care, frankly, because his work is that enjoyable.