Donut Books for Kids

The Best Donut Books for Kids

By the Bookroo Editors
Updated July 29, 2026

Donuts arrive in children’s books already dressed for comedy: round, frosted, sprinkled, and equipped with a hole where sensible food keeps its middle. Authors have turned them into runaway bakery customers, squirrel heist targets, manners tests, business plans, historical inventions, and the crucial evidence in more than one extremely sticky mystery.

Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of donut books, our editors chose the funniest read-alouds, the strongest books for new independent readers, a well-researched true story, and a middle-grade novel with real flour on its apron. Start with our fixed shortlist of 10 favorites, then browse the picture-book and chapter-book shelves for another batch.

Dozens of Doughnuts
Series
Graphic Nov.
The Shortlist

Our 10 Favorite Donut Books

Sale price
$1994
Picture Book · Ages 4–8

Arnie, the Doughnut

By Laurie Keller

A freshly made doughnut is delighted to be chosen at the bakery—until he discovers what customers normally do with doughnuts.

40 pages· 377 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
Best for
The essential laugh-out-loud donut read
4.8/7 Bookroo·4.2/5 Goodreads · 2,251 ratings
$20.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Chapter Book · Ages 5–8 · 2020

Donut Feed the Squirrels

By Mika Song · Book #1 in the Norma and Belly series

Two hungry squirrels plan a food-truck heist after breakfast burns and the donut seller refuses to share.

112 pages· 759 words· Est. 12 min read
Best for
New graphic-novel readers
4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,319 ratings
$12.99Save 4%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–7 · 2008

The Donut Chef

Two bakers answer every new donut with a wilder invention until one child asks for the treat they have forgotten.

40 pages· 714 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud
Best for
Read-alouds about competition and simplicity
6.3/7 Bookroo·4.0/5 Goodreads · 510 ratings
$14.99Save 7%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–7 · 2020

Dozens of Doughnuts

By Carrie Finison, Brianne Farley (Illustrator)

LouAnn keeps dividing fresh batches among surprise guests—then discovers she has saved none for her own winter nap.

40 pages· 458 words· Est. 4 min read-aloud
Best for
Counting and fair sharing
5.1/7 Bookroo·4.4/5 Goodreads · 1,062 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2011

If You Give a Dog a Donut

By Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond (Illustrator) · Book #14 in the If You Give... series

One donut sends an energetic dog from apple juice to apple picking, baseball, treasure hunting, and back again.

32 pages· 199 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud
Best for
Fans of circular cause-and-effect stories
4.0/5 Goodreads · 5,214 ratings
$19.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–5 · 2014

Please, Mr. Panda

Mr. Panda offers a tray of colorful doughnuts to animals who want one badly but forget a very small word.

32 pages· 118 words· Est. 1 min read-aloud
Best for
Preschool practice with please and thank you
5.1/7 Bookroo·3.9/5 Goodreads · 3,612 ratings
$16.99Save 6%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–7 · 1973

Who Needs Donuts?

A boy’s search for donuts leads to a collector, a pretzel seller, an old prophecy, and a basement filling with coffee.

40 pages· 679 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud
Best for
Readers who like gloriously busy absurdity
4.0/7 Bookroo·4.3/5 Goodreads · 452 ratings
$17.99Save 6%
Hardcover
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2018

The Doughnut Fix

After moving to a town with no restaurants, Tristan hunts down a legendary recipe and tries to build a doughnut business.

304 pages· 54,938 words· Est. 7.5 hour read
Best for
Middle graders with an entrepreneurial streak
4.1/5 Goodreads · 3,135 ratings
$16.99Save 6%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 6–9 · 2016

The Hole Story of the Doughnut

By Pat Miller, Vincent X. Kirsch (Illustrator)

A teenage sailor confronts the greasy middle of a fried cake and cuts his way into breakfast history.

40 pages
Best for
Curious kids who ask who invented things
5.3/7 Bookroo·3.8/5 Goodreads · 590 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–5 · 2013

The Case of the Missing Donut

By Alison McGhee, Isabel Roxas (Illustrator)

A young sheriff must deliver a dozen donuts, but powdered sugar on his face keeps attracting suspiciously accurate questions.

32 pages
Best for
A deadpan mystery for preschool detectives
4.8/7 Bookroo·3.7/5 Goodreads · 417 ratings
$16.99Save 6%
Hardcover
The Bookroo Book Club

Great books, picked for their age.

Books worth reading again and again, delivered to your door.

Find their book club
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Browse by age

Donut Picture Books

Bakery rivalries, powdered-sugar clues, talking pastries, and lessons in counting or manners for ages 3–8.

Dough Knights and Dragons

Ages 5–8 · 2017

A knight and dragon must defy a duel law to save their friendship.

Hello, Arnie!

Ages 4–8 · 2020

Discover which unique pastry you are in a delightful bakery adventure.

Donuts

Ages 6–9 · 2018

Explore a whimsical world where donuts come to life in unexpected ways.

Doughnuts for a Dragon

Ages 4–7 · 2015

A boy time-travels to find a dragon. Is it real?

Daisy the Donut Fairy

Ages 3–12 · 2012

Fairies make too many donuts, leading to chaos and unexpected adventure.

Donut

Ages 4–8 · 2022

A unicorn's quest to fly leads to unexpected solutions.

Sale price
$1799

Agent Lion

Ages 4–8 · 2020

A detective must find a missing cat in a building full of quirky surprises.

Curious George
Sale price
$599

Curious George

Ages 4–7 · 2007

A curious monkey's donut order spirals out of control with extra zeros.

View all donut picture books
Browse by age

Donut Chapter Books & Early Graphic Novels

Squirrel capers, bakery mysteries, alien pastries, and a full-fledged doughnut business for readers ages 5–12.

Stick Dog Tries to Take the Donuts

Ages 8–11 · 2016

A group of dogs embark on a mission to find food and discover a new source of sustenance in the form of donuts.

Donuts and Danger

Ages 7–10 · 2021

A cat with superpowers must stop a villainous plot to take over the city.

The Doughnut Whodunit

Ages 7–10 · 2018

A new doughnut shop's recipes mirror Delilah's. Coincidence or theft?

Sale price
$799

Invasion of the Ufonuts: The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut

Ages 7–10 · 2014

Alien doughnuts threaten Earth. Can Arnie save the day?

Bowling Alley Bandit

Ages 7–10 · 2013

A pet doughnut dog must solve the mystery of gutter balls at the bowling alley.

The Spinny Icky Showdown
#3 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1299

The Spinny Icky Showdown

Ages 7–10 · 2015

Arnie faces a wild game show challenge against The Pumpernator. Can he win?

Keep exploring
Books about bakingBooks about cookingBooks about bakeriesBooks about baked goodsBooks about dessertsBooks about breakfastBooks about candyBooks about cookiesBooks about sharingBooks about counting and numbersBooks about squirrelsBooks about panda bears

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