Hello, friends! It’s JJ’s birthday today, and we’re celebrating with a delightfully silly favorite from our library, Arnie The Doughnut by Laurie Keller.

As far back as he can remember – which is 5:15 am this morning, when the doughnut baker made him – Arnie has been excited to be purchased from his spot on the doughnut tray and taken to his new home. So when the doughnut-loving Mr. Bing purchases the enthusiastic Arnie from the shop, the chocolate-iced-rainbow-sprinkled confection spends his paper bag-ride home filled with excitement – that is, until he realizes that Mr. Bing intends to (gasp!) EAT HIM! In fact, he is shocked to find that this is the ultimate fate, nay, purpose of all donuts! Feeling crushed, Arnie resigns himself to his fate, but Mr. Bing has other plans for his new, unusual friend.

Silly, joyful fun. Arnie’s adventure is a romp through several comedic set-ups, from how donuts are made to a brainstorming session on jobs a donut could have OTHER than food, leading readers on a ridiculous ride sure to inspire giggles. Adding to the humor are the controlled chaos of the illustrations, featuring a wild cast of characters – culinary and otherwise – who offer small text asides of jokes, factoids, and visual gags. The length is perfect for a storytime, but these visual Easter eggs make a longer perusal well worth the effort. JJ loves this one, especially the theatrical tone of the dialogue that makes reading aloud a ton of fun. A funny foodie tale with a unexpectedly sweet ending, and we recommend it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)