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The Very Best Doughnut
OUR STORIES is a funny, relatable and engaging new early chapter book series that celebrates Australia's multicultural society with authors and illustrators from a diverse range of backgrounds.Friday is always the best day at Adam's house. It's doughnut day!But this week, his family is fasting for Ramadan. They aren't going to eat or drink until the sun sets.Adam wants to fast too, but it's so hard. Can he wait that long for his very special doughnut?
- GenresChildrens
96 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2022
About the author
Randa Abdel-Fattah
29 books1,037 followersRanda Abdel-Fattah was born in Sydney in 1979. She is a Muslim of Palestinian and Egyptian heritage. She grew up in Melbourne and attended a Catholic primary school and Islamic secondary college where she obtained an International Baccaularetate. She studied Arts/Law at Melbourne University during which time she was the Media Liaison Officer at the Islamic council of Victoria, a role which afforded her the opportunity to write for newspapers and engage with media institutions about their representation of Muslims and Islam.
During university and her role at the ICV, Randa was a passionate human rights advocate and stood in the 1996 federal election as a member of the Unity Party-Say No To Hanson. Randa has also been deeply interested in inter-faith dialogue and has been a member of various inter-faith networks. She also volunteered with different human rights and migrant resource organisations including the Australian Arabic council, the Victorian migrant resource centre, Islamic women’s welfare council, Palestine human rights campaign, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, to name a few.
Randa has used her writing as a medium for expressing her views about the occupation of Palestine. Her articles about Palestine, Australian Muslims and the misunderstood status of women in Islam have been published in the Australian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Canberra Times, New Matilda, Le Monde (France).
Randa is frequently sought for comment by the media on issues pertaining to Palestine, Islam or Australian Muslims. She has appeared on SBS’s Insight, ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club, ABC’s Q & A, Channel 7’s Sunrise and Channel 10’s 9am.
Randa is also a regular guest at schools around Australia addressing students about her books and the social justice issues they raise. Randa has also been a guest at Sweden’s Gothenburg and Litterlund book festivals (2007 and 2008) and Kuala Lumpur’s Book festival (2008). She has also toured in Brunei and the UK.
Randa lives in Sydney with her husband and their two children. She works as a litigation lawyer.
During university and her role at the ICV, Randa was a passionate human rights advocate and stood in the 1996 federal election as a member of the Unity Party-Say No To Hanson. Randa has also been deeply interested in inter-faith dialogue and has been a member of various inter-faith networks. She also volunteered with different human rights and migrant resource organisations including the Australian Arabic council, the Victorian migrant resource centre, Islamic women’s welfare council, Palestine human rights campaign, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, to name a few.
Randa has used her writing as a medium for expressing her views about the occupation of Palestine. Her articles about Palestine, Australian Muslims and the misunderstood status of women in Islam have been published in the Australian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Canberra Times, New Matilda, Le Monde (France).
Randa is frequently sought for comment by the media on issues pertaining to Palestine, Islam or Australian Muslims. She has appeared on SBS’s Insight, ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club, ABC’s Q & A, Channel 7’s Sunrise and Channel 10’s 9am.
Randa is also a regular guest at schools around Australia addressing students about her books and the social justice issues they raise. Randa has also been a guest at Sweden’s Gothenburg and Litterlund book festivals (2007 and 2008) and Kuala Lumpur’s Book festival (2008). She has also toured in Brunei and the UK.
Randa lives in Sydney with her husband and their two children. She works as a litigation lawyer.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 10, 2026
Great story and intro to Ramadan for all kids
August 5, 2022
The Very Best Doughnut and 29 Things You Didn’t Know About Me are lovely additions to Pan Macmillan’s Our Stories series that celebrates Australia’s rich and diverse culture and acknowledges the First Nation’s lands.
For third grader Adam, Friday is the absolute best day of the week as Friday means a doughnut. And today mum has the most scrumptious looking pink-iced doughnut complete with sprinkles. It will be the perfect snack to eat at recess. Except today Adam wants to join his family in fasting for Ramadan which means no eating or drinking until the sun sets. With a grumbling belly and a doughnut begging to be eaten can Adam last the whole day or will hunger get the better of him…
Second graders Lucas and Franco may have only known each for a short while but their friendship is blossoming. Both are excited for a sleepover and the chance to get to know each other even better. Will Lucas love to rhyme as much as Franco does? Will they bond or fall out over adventures, dinosaurs and painting? And most important of all, will they both like tacos…
Family, friendship and the wonderful everyday lives and experiences of children are the stars in these highly accessible stories. Inclusive and diverse, funny and relatable, these stories are incredibly valuable. Whether children see themselves in the stories or they provide a window into the lives of others, the sweet and charming reads perfectly capture the different experiences of family life and childhood. Large spaced-out print, plenty of illustrations and short chapters make these highly accessible and engaging stories perfect for sharing together.
I wrote the following words in my review of the first two titles in the series, Maku and When Granny Came to Stay, and I think they are definitely worth reiterating. If we want children to grow up with an understanding of and a willingness to acknowledge and embrace their culture and heritage then they need stories like these that begin to educate and inform. The authors have lovingly wrapped up beliefs, traditions, customs and values into the most delightful and accessible of little packages.
With huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for the copies I received in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended for 4+.
For third grader Adam, Friday is the absolute best day of the week as Friday means a doughnut. And today mum has the most scrumptious looking pink-iced doughnut complete with sprinkles. It will be the perfect snack to eat at recess. Except today Adam wants to join his family in fasting for Ramadan which means no eating or drinking until the sun sets. With a grumbling belly and a doughnut begging to be eaten can Adam last the whole day or will hunger get the better of him…
Second graders Lucas and Franco may have only known each for a short while but their friendship is blossoming. Both are excited for a sleepover and the chance to get to know each other even better. Will Lucas love to rhyme as much as Franco does? Will they bond or fall out over adventures, dinosaurs and painting? And most important of all, will they both like tacos…
Family, friendship and the wonderful everyday lives and experiences of children are the stars in these highly accessible stories. Inclusive and diverse, funny and relatable, these stories are incredibly valuable. Whether children see themselves in the stories or they provide a window into the lives of others, the sweet and charming reads perfectly capture the different experiences of family life and childhood. Large spaced-out print, plenty of illustrations and short chapters make these highly accessible and engaging stories perfect for sharing together.
I wrote the following words in my review of the first two titles in the series, Maku and When Granny Came to Stay, and I think they are definitely worth reiterating. If we want children to grow up with an understanding of and a willingness to acknowledge and embrace their culture and heritage then they need stories like these that begin to educate and inform. The authors have lovingly wrapped up beliefs, traditions, customs and values into the most delightful and accessible of little packages.
With huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for the copies I received in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended for 4+.
July 31, 2025
"Adam wondered what was so fast about fasting" omg so funny and sooo cute. and yes, I had to read a kids book amongst this chaos. Hannah is such a big sister, I definitely relate to her watching over her little bro <33 oh and such sweet illustrations!
November 27, 2022
My kids adore this book (as do I).
February 5, 2023
Abdel-Fattah is a good author who communicates her ideologies well, and she does have them, like all of us.
She seems to be wanting to make Islam ordinary and accessible and in books like this for younger readers does this well.
I may not agree her religion is the correct one, after all, if you believe there is but one way to heaven then all other ways must be incorrect, but this does not mean being antagonistic or hateful, rather it is more the reason to show love and mercy.
Anyway off the soap box now, a nice story telling us about Ramadan, and how it is celebrated in some families.
Read again - eleven months later
She seems to be wanting to make Islam ordinary and accessible and in books like this for younger readers does this well.
I may not agree her religion is the correct one, after all, if you believe there is but one way to heaven then all other ways must be incorrect, but this does not mean being antagonistic or hateful, rather it is more the reason to show love and mercy.
Anyway off the soap box now, a nice story telling us about Ramadan, and how it is celebrated in some families.
Read again - eleven months later
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews