Hanson Crockett Gregory, master mariner, invented the pastry we now know as the doughnut when he was working as a cook's assistant on the Ivanhoe in 1847. The cook was making breakfast "sinkers," balls of fried dough that were delicious on the outside but heavy on the inside, and Hanson thought to make holes in the middle. It worked! He shared the invention with his mother, who sold them to sailors on the docks; thus "holey cakes" spread around the world.

The design of the book is delightful, from its doughnut-and-lifesaver-patterned endpapers to the use of huge circles on each double page spread: on the left, black text on a white circle, surrounded by illustration; on the right, an illustration inside a circle surrounded by a white air frame.

An author's note includes information about a challenge to Captain Gregory's claim that was later admitted to be a publicity stunt. Back matter also includes a photo, a timeline, acknowledgments, and a selected bibliography.

See also: Gingerbread for Liberty! by Mara Rockliff; Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison ( )

Author Pat Miller recounts how Captain Hanson Gregory invented the doughnut as a young cook on a ship. With bright illustrations, Captain Gregory’s story is historically engaging. Author’s Note, Timeline, Selected Bibliography.

Fun, simple story!! ( )

I love a good invention story! I love to find out how things started and how they were made! So this book, "The Hole Story of the Doughnut" was too good to pass up. It turns out that this smart little boy named Hanson Gregory was aboard the Isaac Achorn ship as a cabin boy. At this time they would make fried cakes for breakfast. The problem was that these cakes had raw centers and they were heavy with grease. The sailors called them "sinkers" because they sank in your stomach. So this 16 year old boy decided to cut a hole in the middle of the dough! This solved the problem. The fried cakes were cooked all the way through and delicious. It's such a simple solution to a problem that became a great invention. Now the book includes many more legends and exciting stories of the doughnut but you will have to read it yourself to get all those stories. I would love to put this book into the hands of a young inventor and see the spark of an idea light up in his eyes. Simple solutions to simple problems make great inventions!!

Have you ever wondered why donuts have holes in the middle, or who put them there? The story of a sea captain named Hanson Gregory explains how the hole in the donut came to be.
The author and illustrator create a delightful picture book biography of Hanson Gregory by combining text with complementing illustrations. The information and timeline make this a good book for a simple biography literature project. It is also a good read aloud for a donut day program. This book is recommended for children in Kindergarten through the third grade. ( )