Children's Book about Inventor of Doughnut Archives -

The Hole Story of The Doughnut by Pat Miller

THE HOLE STORY OF THE DOUGHNUT
Written by Pat Miller
Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $17.99, Ages 6-9)

In The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller, the beloved doughnut’s history is traced back to 1847. Hanson Crockett Gregory, an American born in Maine, was only thirteen years old when he went to sea. At age sixteen, while working as a cook’s assistant on the Ivanhoe, Gregory decided to try something new. Their typical breakfast of sweet fried dough was known as “sinkers” because the middles remained raw and heavy with grease, making them “drop like cannonballs” in the stomach. Using the lid of a pepper can, Gregory cut holes from the center of the dough. By lightening them up, they emerged from the bubbling lard fully cooked, browned, and sweet.

Interior spread of first doughnut invention from The Hole Story of The Doughnut — Interior artwork from The Hole Story of The Doughnut by Pat Miller with illustrations by Vincent X. Kirsch, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ©2016.

These new treats became known as “holey cakes;” Gregory’s mother sold large batches of them on the docks to hungry sailors. To offset the simple origins of the doughnut, sailors invented wild tales about how Captain Gregory’s invention occurred while he was wrestling with stormy seas or rescuing sailors who had fallen overboard.

Interior spread of sailors eating doughnuts from The Hole Story of The Doughnut — Interior artwork from The Hole Story of The Doughnut by Pat Miller with illustrations by Vincent X. Kirsch, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ©2016.

The colorful pages of The Hole Story of the Doughnut utilize a doughnut-shaped theme and lively illustrations to depict historical scenes with interest and humor. The tale brings us full-circle in Gregory’s life. In an interview with Gregory at age sixty-nine, he seemed amazed at the fuss over his now world-famous invention claiming he had merely invented “the first hole ever seen by mortal eyes.” A hole which has made a mighty impression.

Both children and adults should find this history of the doughnut to be a fun and interesting read. The next time I eat a “holey cake,” I’ll think back upon the story of Captain Gregory and be thankful we’re not still eating “sinkers.”