THE HOLE STORY

by Pat Miller

In 1843, fourteen-year-old Hanson Gregory left his family home in Rockport, Maine, and set sail as a cabin boy on the schooner Achorn , looking for high-stakes adventure on the high seas. Little did he know that a boatload of hungry sailors, coupled with his knack for creative problem-solving, would yield one of the world’s most prized and beloved pastries. Lively and inventive cut-paper illustrations add a taste of whimsy to this sweet, fact-filled story that includes an extensive bibliography, author's note, and timeline.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Food, History, Childrens, Biography Memoir

Unknown Binding

First published May 3, 2016

Reviews

[meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

it might be "the hole story" but i wanted the whole story. like why they were first called doughnuts for instance. cute but like actual doughnuts i wanted a little more.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

June 3, 2022 was National Doughnut Day. I read that in a news article where it referred to this book. It has taken me this long to get the book from the library, but it was worth the wait. It is a colorful book with wonderful illustrations and small amounts of script on each page. I appreciated getting to know the origin of the donut. I am sure children will enjoy this book, too . . . especially if they can munch a donut afterward!

[Carrie Charley Brown]

If you're like me, you are enticed by the almighty doughnut. But have you heard the "hole" story? The story of Hanson Crockett Gregory will shed a golden brown light right on the truth. Kids and adults alike will be treated to a real taste of this sailing cook's life and how the doughnut came to be. With comical illustrations that highlight the reactions of the sailors and Vincent's hard work, kids will delight in this entertaining history lesson that might leave you craving something sweet in the end. Or who knows? It may even lead you to invent something tasty, too!

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided an review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful origin story of the doughnut. Pair with Arnie the Doughnut for a delicious story time.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read; informative. Does not explain how they came to be called "doughnuts" which would have been a nice addition to the story.

[Anna Nesterovich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure for what age the book was intended, but lacks rapport and rhythm to attract toddlers, has too many details fro pre-K, and is just not very interesting for older kids. Besides, as much as Americans are fond of doughnuts, I don't share the hype. What do you even mean, those fried cakes weren't cooked in the center? Did that cook need to have his hands transplanted into the shoulders? It's really not that hard to fry blobs of dough through. My grandma managed it just fine. But it must have been really hard to come up with dough quite as tasteless.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the doughnut/donut lover that I am, reading this book about the inventor of the hole in the doughnut, Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory, warmed my donut-loving heart. :) Not only did he invent my favorite treat, but he was a master mariner who saved peoples' lives, was honored by the queen of Spain for his heroism, and who seemed practical, inventive, and humble.
This slim book is chock full of awesome historical tidbits about America's beloved pastry and its inventor.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both of my grandsons and I read this book on a recent road trip and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm always up for a history lesson, and what could be more delicious than learning the history of the doughnut? Well, maybe eating a doughnut would be more delicious, but . . .

Fun and informative with delightful illustrations.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok. rather just eat some doughnuts.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did the doughnut come to be??? This fabulous picture book tells the story AND a few larger "fish" tales as well. I loved it....BUT I have a very great affinity for doughnuts! :)

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's Book- Picture book -

Do you know how the doughnut started? Interesting book with lively illustrations about Hanson Gregory who went to work as a ship's cook and sailor. He made breakfast each morning by dropping blobs of dough into hot oil. What happened? Well, the outsides were cooked but the insides were not and so the sailors called them 'sinkers' because they dropped hard in their stomachs. The young boy got an idea and cut the middles out of each ball and the doughnut was discovered. He later went on to give his mom the recipe and she sold them at home. Very interesting book- one a teacher could share with her students and use for a read aloud. Might even spark some interest in other things that came about because of a good idea- like the sandwich- Fun to read- fun to share and the pictures were quite well done too. History notes at the end tell that his headstone disappeared. After 20 years of being unmarked, Dunkin Donuts paid for a new one and in 1982 his headstone was dedicated.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun subject for a biography. Anything with the word doughnut in the title hooks a young reader, and Pat Miller's story reels them right in. Besides the spare and delightful tale of how master mariner Hanson Crockett Gregory invented doughnuts, it's the pictures that delight. Vincent X. Kirsch's watercolor, black gesso, glue and, cut hot press watercolor paper illustrations are so clever. Each double spread has the text formatted inside a cutout circle on an illustrated page, with the inside cut out circle illustration on the facing page, detailing that portion of the story. The author's end pages include a note on Captain Gregory's life, a helpful timeline, and a selected bibliography. This title will make an entertaining read aloud, teamed with Laurie Keller's original Arnie the Doughnut.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Few remember the master mariner Hanson Crockett Gregory, though he was bold and brave and bright. But the pastry he invented more than 166 years ago is eaten daily by doughnut lovers everywhere. This is his story.

Premise/plot: Readers learn the true story behind the creation of the doughnut. Also how that story got embellished through the years into something more of a legend.

My thoughts: I liked it. I really did. I can't say that I loved, loved, LOVED it. But it was lively, engaging, entertaining, not particularly moralistic or educational. I don't remember picture book biographies being this entertaining when I was a child. So it's easy to recommend.

Text: 3.5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4.5 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

[Vonna Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun topic! I’d never heard this story before, so the image on the cover had me scratching my head trying to figure out what a sea captain had to do with doughnuts. Answer: everything! This is a fascinating story of a young man who saw a problem and found a solution. The use of round shapes on the interior illustrations cleverly tied the doughnut theme to the sea theme, and the entire story is told and illustrated with wit and enthusiasm. THE HOLE STORY OF THE DOUGHNUT is an excellent biography for someone who made life better for the seamen of his time and made a lasting contribution to the fun part of our diet!

[Christiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love doughnuts? And yet I had no idea who invented them. Hanson Gregory was a young ship’s cook when he discovered a better way to cook the “sinkers” sailors traditionally ate for breakfast. This is a charming picture book biography for young readers; on each page the illustration or text is within a circle, like a porthole, or a doughnut!

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly terrific picture book. As delightful as doughnuts from beginning to endpapers. Clever round compositions echo the theme. Cuts through the myths and tells the true story of the invention of doughnuts in an entertaining way.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography that will be well read because of the topic it covers!

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the invention of the delicious donut. I enjoyed the art design and the back matter material.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as fun as we thought it would be based on the illustrations. Lots of interesting facts and premise. Now a wants to know what about the long johns.

[Luke Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

A health revolution that has vilified the doughnut has done little to keep it down, and the seafaring story of its invention as told by Pat Miller and illuminated by Vincent X. Kirsch in The Hole Story of the Doughnut celebrates the pastries blue collar roots that ring true to this day. Coffee and doughnuts began as coffee and sinkers— that is, doughnuts without holes— and they began much the same way we use them today; as a blue collar pick-me-up. Using a food called sinkers to fortify oneself on a ship in the mid-1800s is as on-the-nose as it gets, but a vessel, with its winches and portholes and captain’s wheels and life buoys seems an inspirational place for Captain Hanson Gregory’s invention. Such holey accouterments roundly populate the entire book in Kirsch’s rough collages, cobbling together in watercolors, pencil, and paper cutouts to evoke the creaking and swaying of a ship’s bowels and the hungry mass of crewmen within it. Kirsch holes each page, highlighting the central message. Captain Gregory Hanson has contributed something by taking away. The idea to hole a sinker is an addition of absence. He created lightness physically so doughnuts could bring lightness mentally.

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Few remember the master mariner Hanson Crockett Gregory, though he was bold and brave and bright. But the pastry he invented more than 166 years ago is eaten daily by doughnut lovers everywhere. This is his story.

Informative and interesting, but it could have been formatted differently to make it more appealing for kids, since that is ostensibly the target audience (It could have written rhythmically/rhyming, or been made funnier). Mind you, I'm not saying kids won't enjoy it —my kids did— but I don't think it has enough appeal to be a regularly requested read.

Also, the book really is just the "hole story" (story of how the "hole" in doughnuts was born); when Hanson and his mother started selling their newly invented confection, they called them "holey cakes," but it is never told when or why they started getting referred to as "doughnuts," which seems like an obvious thing to include (The Author's Note at the end, does mention how/why National Doughnut Day became a thing, at least: "to honor Helen Purviance and the women from the Salvation Army who made doughnuts near the battlefields during World War I.").

[Melissa Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like this, young children are going to be drawn in immediately, just as I was after reading the title. As I continued to read I found that this book was a biography about a boy who left his family at just thirteen years old and began a voyage with a sailing crew. He had done many heroic deeds during this time, but one particular we continue to celebrate today. The invention of the doughnut and how it came about. This book has wonderful illustrations and an easy to follow timeline for students to access. One way to use this book in the classroom would be to identify some character traits of Hanson Gregory and have students identify what deeds resembled various character traits. Allowing students to cite evidence from the text to support their ideas.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting picture book biography for older students. Things to notice/wonder:
--text is in a round 'hole' on each spread;
--there are additional historical facts in the end note as well as a helpful timeline;
--the accepted version of the doughnut's invention is supplemented with a couple legendary ones--discuss the difficulty of writing historically accurate informational text;
--unanswered question--why is this pastry called a doughnut?;
--text to life connection--have students ever heard of Dunkin' Donuts--the company that provided Captain Gregory's tombstone? When did Dunkin' Donuts drop Donuts from it's company name? (2018).
Use with biography units, also in memory of beloved teacher Mr. Witte, who is famous for his love of donuts.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explaining the true origin of the doughnut hole is almost as difficult as saying no to a second, freshly fried doughnut! Miller uses flashback done in italics and regular font to help the reader visualize the time jump. Font is large, heavy, helping to set the mood for a strong story.
Each page has a round frame for the text or illustrations, done in watercolor, black gesso, and cut hot press watercolor paper.
Italics The Author's Note is almost as interesting reading as the text! Could only have been made better with inclusion of his mother's doughnut recipe.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little story about the inventor of much beloved doughnuts. Hanson Gregory is famous not for his amazing sailing skills but for an invention that he developed as a cook on a ship. The first doughnuts were called sinkers. They were not fully cooked. Hanson made holes in the center and tried again. The crew loved these new delicacies. When Hanson shared the idea with his mom on shore the name holey cakes was born. So think of this great story to share with your children at breakfast soon!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1843, fourteen-year-old Hanson Gregory left his family home in Rockport, Maine, and set sail as a cabin boy on the schooner Achorn, looking for high-stakes adventure on the high seas. Little did he know that a boatload of hungry sailors, coupled with his knack for creative problem-solving, would yield one of the world’s most prized and beloved pastries. Lively and inventive cut-paper illustrations add a taste of whimsy to this sweet, fact-filled story that includes an extensive bibliography, author's note, and timeline.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun story about Henson Gregory, the undisputed inventor of the doughnut. The book gives basic facts about his sailing life and the story, according to him, of how and why he invented doughnuts. It also identifies a few of the more exciting myths around the invention. Final notes not part of the picture book include information about his family, National Doughnut Day, and how he came to be the UNDISPUTED inventor. Illustrations are colorful and well-done, as one would expect from Kirsch.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book for the most part. I don't know if the author felt that the real story needed embellishing and added the "sailor's tales" of the doughnut origin, or if they were really part of the true story. To me, they felt incongruous to the rest of the invention's story. Since the book is classified as a biography, I would hope not. I think the book would have been better had they been left out.

[Anna W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed: how each page had a "round" feature like a doughnut, the information about why the middle was cut out, the historical/fact information at the end, the illustrations throughout.

Did not enjoy: the overall plot and story. Just didn't work for me. (Yet again, no real reason... just didn't seem to "grip" me in the details.)

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun times but sad face to ...this book looks super cute but when reading it through the kindle FIRE you can not enlarge the text & illustrations. which is a feature you really need in a kindle FIRE book ...so needed ...this doesn't have it. sad face. i can not read multiple parts because it is too tiny.