“My dad was reading the paper. I do not think he pays a lot of attention to the world while he's reading his paper.”

The young boy narrates as his mother leaves for her conference and explains to the father all the things he must remember while she is away. The boy’s mother questions whether the father heard her; as the above quote highlights, he was busy reading the paper. However, the father proudly lists all the things she mentions: orchestra practice, the plumber, feeding the goldfish, etc. Impressed, the boy’s mother adds that he needs to pick up more milk, and she is no longer concerned that the father is still reading his newspaper. This quote foreshadows that the children’s father will forget something important. It also suggests that the father is often engrossed in his newspaper and doesn’t pay attention to them. The end of both lines features “paper,” creating a sense of rhythm and repetition.

“He looked like he was going to suggest that we have something for breakfast that you do not need milk for, like sausages, but then he looked like he remembered that, without milk, he couldn't have his tea. He had his ‘no tea’ face.”

Later in the book, the children’s father spins a story to explain why he took so long getting the milk. In his story, the protagonist (himself) is portrayed as a selfless, caring father who will do literally anything to get the milk back for his children’s breakfast—without question.