6. Arnie the Doughnut

I've read picture books with cats, dogs, birds, mice, trains, and cars that all talk (among other things)...but never a doughnut. Laurie Keller definitely created a unique character in Arnie the Doughnut (2003).


One thing you need to know about Keller is that she is creative, zany, and a little bit punny (small giggle). Of course, that is immediately apparent as soon as you open any of her books. In Arnie, every page (even the title page, copyright page, and cover) is in on the act. The characters (both main and sideline) appear everywhere...I mean absolutely everywhere...and her humor bursts from every scene. 

The illustrations are eye-catching and cover the entire book. You could spend hours (I'm not kidding) with your eye jumping from corner to corner, trying to catch all of the jokes, dialogue, and scenes she crams in. This style might not be for everyone...I know some people found it a little too busy for their tastes...but I quite enjoyed it. Keller uses acrylic paints and collage to create a feel of a textured and multi-dimensional world of doughnuts. (Some parts of the background are even cut-outs from maps or newspapers.) Her cartoonish (almost naive art) style keeps you jumping from vignette to vignette of minor characters (a cruller who speaks French and a jelly doughnut who has to make sure his brains are not coming out, among others) that inhabit Arnie's world. She creates emotion and action in her lines (often represented by falling sprinkles or Arnie's expressive eyes) that move the story forward. Her use of bold colors that fill every inch of the page creates vibrant scenes throughout.

The text is just as playful as the illustrations, with words curving this way and that...you have to turn the book to read some of them! This makes the story so interactive and fun...in a time where kids feel they need buttons and screens to interact with, Keller proves that books can do the same thing (even better, in my opinion). The text and pictures work in harmony, where your eye goes from one to the next, always learning something new.

As far as the story is concerned, it is along the same vein as The Gingerbread Man, where runaway food is the focus. It is a fantasy story where Arnie "grows up" in a doughnut factory/shop and can't wait until he is chosen. Sadly, he is unaware that being chosen means eventually being eaten. My favorite scene is where he stops himself from going into Mr. Bing's mouth and yells "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" From this moment on, Arnie tries to change his fate, and ultimately succeeds (though you must read the book to find out the silly way that Keller solves his dilemma).


I was incredibly entertained by this story, even though there was not necessarily a deep message to it. (I suppose you could say fighting for your rights or standing up for yourself.) It was simply a fun book, with quirky twists, turns, and asides along the way that keep you laughing. I could see students inspired by the full-of-life Arnie and ready to create their own stories...if a book can get kids to love to read and inspired to write, that's reason enough to add it to your collection!

As a final note, I have a tendency to feel a bond with anthropomorphized characters and see them in a different light. (After Wall-E, I felt really bad going after any cockroaches.) Thus, after reading Arnie the Doughnut I swore I would never eat one again...until my professor's themed snack for the day included...you guessed it...Arnie. Did I stand up for doughnut rights and say "no!" to the cruel mistreatment of doughnuts. No, I ate him, but at least I felt a little bit sorry...that counts, right?