The Hole Story of the Doughnut, written by Pat Miller, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Bethany G.
Summary: Back in 1844, Hanson Crockett Gregory left his family’s farm at age thirteen for the job of cabin boy on the schooner Isaac Achorn. The crew quickly discovered Gregory’s skill on the skillet and appointed him as cook assistant. He also began working on the ship’s rigging, adjusting the sails and steering the ship. Six years later, he lead the cargo schooner Hardscrabble as captain. Later on, Gregory commanded a clipper, sailing from Maine to California. During another voyage, he saved seven Spanish sailors from the bitter sea and was awarded by the Spanish Queen Isabella II for his heroism. The story then backtracks to June 22, 1847 when, at 16, Gregory had a fantastic idea. When the breakfast cakes were fried, the center of them would be undercooked and greasy, leading to the name “sinkers”. Gregory cut out the bad part of the cakes with a pepper can before frying them. They were a hit. He then shared the recipe for these “holey cakes” with his mother, who, in turn, started selling them on the docks. After this, their popularity soared and doughnuts became the ever-popular treat they are today. Despite the clear origin story, sailors shared legends about Gregory and his doughnuts. One said that Gregory, during an intense storm, stabbed a sinker with the wheel spoke to keep it in place, allowing it to be easily savored as he steered the ship. Another said he started cutting out the center of the doughnuts to stop sailors from drowning after eating the heavy sinkers. Years later, during an interview, Gregory how he was pleased with the doughnuts, that they had stopped the indigestion caused by sinkers. Gregory passed away peacefully in a home for sailors. His grave was lost for 30 or so years and a new headstone was placed by Dunkin Donuts in 1982.

Straight Talk for Librarians: “The Hole Story of the Doughnut” is a good tool to get emerging readers more interested in history. It features colorful watercolor pieces lined with a fine-point marker and cut out around the edges. It introduces an explanation behind a popular treat and would pair well with some actual doughnuts. There are a couple literary devices used throughout, most notably vivid imagery, discussing sight, smell, taste, and hearing. “The Hole Story of the Doughnut” also includes some alliteration and a good example of simile. It can also be used to introduce the usage of color to express emotion. In the book, yellow represents happiness and dark blue represents peril, for example. Color saturation also clues the reader into the tone of the page, with bright colors used to show stronger emotions and the opposite for duller colors. High School students could use this historical picture book to learn a little bit about history that might not be covered in textbooks. It shows the fun side of history. Great display opportunities and events could be designed to go along with a reading or promotion of this book.