2nd June Doughnut Day

June 2 is World Doughnut Day, not only Fish and Chip Day, two favourite foods of many. Doughnut Day has been celebrated since 1938, starting off as a fundraiser for The Salvation Army in Chicago during the Great Depression. Even now many doughnut drives raise money for charities, so you can eat all you like for a good cause. 

During World War I a group of Salvation Army volunteers was dispatched to the frontlines with the mission of providing comforting meals for the troops. They soon found out that donuts were an effective way to provide food while navigating the difficulties of cooking in very dire circumstances. These brave volunteers would later be known as “donut lassies”. They would even use war helmets as a utensil to fry up seven donuts at a time.

Doughnuts or the shorter form donuts have become a very popular feature of children's books, probably because this sugary snack tastes wonderful. The Mr Panda books by Steve Antony are always on loan especially with the preschoolers and the doughnuts in these books certainly look appealing. They even feature on clothing.

If you would like to read about the history of the donut try these books:

• Doughnuts: The Hole Story by Julie Knutson

• Doughnuts: Our Favourite Food  by Joanne Mattern

• The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller and Vincent Kirsch

Now just read for fun:

• Donuts the Hole Story  by David W. Miles

• Daisy the Donut Fairy by Tim Bugbird. 

• If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff 

• The Donut Chef by Bob Staarke.

• Detective Donut and the Wild Goose Chase by Bruce Whatley.

• Arnie, the Doughnut by Laurie Keller

• The Case of the Missing Donut by Alison McGhee and Isabel Roxas

• The Doughnut of Doom  by Elis Dolan

• Doughnuts for a Dragon  by Adam and Charlotte Guillain and Lee Wildish

• Dozens of Doughnuts  by Carrie Finison and Brianne Farley

• Norman the Slug with a Silly Shell by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet

• Agent Lion  by Jacky Davis and David Roman

There's some short chapter books:

• The Doughnut Ring  by Alexander McCall Smith
• Doughnut Danger by Anthony Masters

• Freddie's Amazing Bakery:Dancing with Doughnuts  by Harriet Whitehorn

• Donut Feed the Squirrels  by Mika Song

• Stick Dog Tries to Take the Donuts  by Tim Watson

• Max Meow Donuts and Danger by John Gallagher

• The Very Best Doughnut  by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Amani Haydar

• Percy Pigeon Donut Detective  by Tracy Gunaratnam

• Shark and Bot: Zombie Donut Attack  by Brian Yanish

• Frank and Bean: Food Truck Fiasco by Jamie Michalak  and Bob Kolar 

And a whole series by Gianna Pollero and Sarah Horne

• Monster Doughnuts

• Monster Donughts: Cyclops on a Mission

• Monster Doughnuts:Beastly Breakout!