Sam’s love of donuts takes him to the Big City where he makes friends with Mr. Bikferd, a world class collector of donuts. But when Mr. Bikfe...
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Feb 20, 2009
Abigail
rated it: 
"Who Needs Donuts? - A rhetorical question, surely!
Originally published in 1973, Mark Alan Stamaty's hilariously surreal picture book follows young Sam, who "lived with his family in a nice house," but longed for more donuts than his parents could provide. Venturing into the city, looking for donuts, Sam falls in with maverick donut-collector Mr. Bikferd, wandering the streets with his cart...
"Who needs donuts when you've got love?" demands a sad More...
Originally published in 1973, Mark Alan Stamaty's hilariously surreal picture book follows young Sam, who "lived with his family in a nice house," but longed for more donuts than his parents could provide. Venturing into the city, looking for donuts, Sam falls in with maverick donut-collector Mr. Bikferd, wandering the streets with his cart...
"Who needs donuts when you've got love?" demands a sad More...
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Jun 27, 2011
Bev
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Who Needs Donuts? is an absolutely delightful children's book by Mark Alan Stamaty (both story & pictures). I have no idea how I missed this one growing up. And only discovered it now thanks to my good friend Richard. In a conversation that started with the closing of H&H Bagels in NYC, we wound our way 'round to Who Needs Donuts. Richard was amazed that I'd not heard of this book. I managed to lay my hands on it (thanks to a deal with Amazon), have it delivered today and whizzed through it
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May 18, 2009
Emmy
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Sam lives in a house with a big yard and has lots of friends but what he doesn't have is donuts - and that is what he truly wants. He sets out for the city in search of donuts where he meets Mr. Bikferd, a man with a wagon full of donuts. Together they walk the streets in search of donuts. When Mr. Bikferd falls in love with Pretzel Annie, Sam is left in charge of the donuts. Sam saves an old woman with his donuts and learns that you don't need donuts when you've got love.
Originally More...
Originally More...
Jul 03, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
Wow! I’ve never seen a book quite like this. It’s exceptional.
For a thorough and conscientious reader, it could take as long to read this short picture book as it would to read a novel.
The illustrations (black ink pen?) are incredibly and unbelievably detailed. They’re completely unique and can provide hours of fun. They’re often very funny. The dog with shoes is a riot, but it’s impossible to single out one or even dozens of examples. There are lots of words (on signs, More...
For a thorough and conscientious reader, it could take as long to read this short picture book as it would to read a novel.
The illustrations (black ink pen?) are incredibly and unbelievably detailed. They’re completely unique and can provide hours of fun. They’re often very funny. The dog with shoes is a riot, but it’s impossible to single out one or even dozens of examples. There are lots of words (on signs, More...
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Nov 16, 2011
Zack
rated it:
A completely insane and a half children's book. Predating the style of WHERE'S WALDO, it's a simple-but-touching tale of a young boy dressed like a cowboy who wants millions and millions of donuts, but learns that caring about other people is more important.
The story takes two minutes to read; the illustrations take about 12 hours to dissect, if you're lucky. Stamaty fills every square inch of every page with gags and gags within gags. Birds with horse and elephant heads fly about; More...
The story takes two minutes to read; the illustrations take about 12 hours to dissect, if you're lucky. Stamaty fills every square inch of every page with gags and gags within gags. Birds with horse and elephant heads fly about; More...
May 01, 2011
Michiko
rated it: 
This book is like Where's Waldo. It may not be a book you share with your whole class but it's a book that will always be in the hands of one of your students. The illustrations are so engaging and there is so much to look at and to find that a child could be lost in it for weeks without exhausting the pictures of things to find. The story is a simple story of a child setting out in search of something only to realize he's loved at home. I sat with this book for about 30 minutes just pouring
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Jul 06, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
Most wonderfully bizarro children's book ever. Catherine received it from her aunt for her birthday and both kids have been clamoring for me to read it and staring at the exceptionally-intricate illustrations ever since. I am dying to know what other people think the "donuts" represent. Idols? Higher education? Materialism? Wealth? And how it seems to start over again at the end? Still thinking about this book.
Aug 06, 2011
Read this book to Ethan before he was 2. Took it out of the library. 25 years later, walking down the street in Oberlin, saw it in the window. This is one of the most visually amazing books ever drawn. Every square millimeter is filled with interesting things, from little animals among the blades of grass, to his hobby horse drinking from a puddle. You have to see this book to believe it.
Jan 06, 2011
Camille
rated it:
I can't put into words what I think of this book. It was a gift from my brother for my 5th birthday. At the time, the book was out of print, so he photocopied a friend's copy for me, and bound it in paisley fabric. I colored in the pages for years. You could own this book your whole life, and still find new details every time through. It really captures the chaos of new york.
Jun 03, 2010
Becky
rated it:
This staggeringly detailed, surreal story begs for repeated inspection. And maybe a magnifying glass. My favorite thing is that when you get to the end, you are back where you started in the protagonist's front yard, and the first sentence of the book is written on his sidewalk. Very "circle of life." :)
"Who needs donuts when you've got love?"
"Who needs donuts when you've got love?"
Oct 08, 2009
Lucy-my-control
rated it:
This book is rad. I like it that the author is not afraid to give the main kid character some real issues and problems to deal with. I guess it comes down to greed and love and that horrible feeling when you are a kid that you just want stuff so bad and no other emotion can compete. It made me hungry for: more from this author, more big city life and ,obviously, donuts.
Aug 19, 2011
Amy
rated it:
This was a book that totally twisted and informed my visual sense as a child. So peculiar and lovely and funny. with its density of imagery, this is a book that just keeps on giving. SO glad to know it's back in print to mess with a select few of another generation!
Dec 29, 2010
Jen
rated it: 
This book is wacky. The pictures are cluttered with all sorts of crazy pictures and the story line is disturbing. One of those books that really depend on your personality.
Jul 17, 2009
Martha
rated it:
Top 100. I don't get why. Ok storyline, black and white line drawings, very cluttered pictures for kids to examine at length with humor. But just so-so in my opinion.
Oct 14, 2010
Aerin
rated it:
Best book ever of all time.
"No loitering. Anyone caught loitering will be subject to the predicate 'is loitering'."
"No loitering. Anyone caught loitering will be subject to the predicate 'is loitering'."
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May 30, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
I thought the story was kind of creepy for a kid's book, but I could gaze at the art for hours.
Mar 18, 2011
Liana
rated it:
The most amazing kids book that every adult should own. Hours of entertainment.
Apr 02, 2008
Jeffrey
rated it:
At least one of Mark Alan Stamaty's amazing kid's books is still in print. For some reason publishers today seem to only tolerate tame, sterile and homogenized kid's books. You just don't see weird, crazy, incredible books like this these days. Great for kids, but enjoyable for adults too. Buy one for you child, niece, nephew, friend's kids today
Dec 27, 2007
Gina
rated it:
What a strange little book. Here's how it starts:
"Sam lived with his family in a nice house. He had a big yard and lots of friends. But he wanted donuts...finally one day he hopped on his tricycle and rode away to a big city to look for donuts."
The illustrations are a black and white version of Where's Waldo.
"Sam lived with his family in a nice house. He had a big yard and lots of friends. But he wanted donuts...finally one day he hopped on his tricycle and rode away to a big city to look for donuts."
The illustrations are a black and white version of Where's Waldo.
Aug 05, 2007
Ledena
rated it:
My friend Martha gave me this book for Christmas a few years back. The drawings are really neat with a lot of weird detail. This is one of those kids books where you're kind of creeped out by the adultness of some of the characters. Like Sad Old Woman. The moral of the story: Who needs donuts, when you've got love.
Jan 22, 2012
Nativida
rated it:
"Who needs donuts?" he said. "I've got love."
This would be a fun one to pair with Arnie The Doughnut (as read-alouds).
This would be a fun one to pair with Arnie The Doughnut (as read-alouds).
Oct 30, 2007
Elyssa
rated it:
My husband discovered this book at the library and it is hard to read to our toddler because the drawings are so detailed, distracting, and trippy! I could spend hours examining this book and find something new on each page.
Dec 17, 2009
Eli
rated it:
This was the central defining book of my early childhood. My dad loved it, and read it to me often. A framed copy of the cover hangs in our home. Republished after copies (dog-eared, at that) were going on eBay for over $700.
Dec 17, 2009
Puni
rated it:
amazing art, this shouldn't be a kid book at all.
the story's simple, but the art is so overwhelmingly good and complex and just..wow. take one look into it, and you'll want to own this book. that's how good it is ;)
the story's simple, but the art is so overwhelmingly good and complex and just..wow. take one look into it, and you'll want to own this book. that's how good it is ;)
Oct 30, 2007
Alex
rated it:
A really moving kids story with amazingly bizarre and insanely detailed illustrations. After you read the story to your kid and put him to bed, you re-open the book to figure out what's really going on.
