The Donut Chef

Starred review from October 27, 2008
Rival donut chefs compete for customers by concocting ever more exotic offerings in this eye-catching title from the creator of The Red Lemon
. Geometric art in spun-sugar-smooth colors produces a vintage feel; relayed in jubilant rhymed couplets, the story, too, pays tribute to simple pleasures. As each chef innovates, his goods become less and less appealing: “We’ve donuts laced with kiwi jam,/ and served inside an open clam!/ Donuts made with huckleberry/ (Don’t be scared; they’re kind of hairy).” Only a girl’s request for a glazed donut stops the insanity. The real fun here lies in the visuals: the rotund chef, winking with a semicircular eyebrow and smiling his half-moon-shaped smile; bakery displays of impossibly gorgeous goods; fantastically tall or wide passersby. Everywhere readers look, there are delectable surprises. Ages 3–5.