If You Give a Dog a Donut

If You Give... #8

by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

If you give a dog a donut, he’ll ask for some apple juice to go with it.

When you give him the juice, he’ll drink it all up.

Then, before you can say “Woof” . . . Dog is off on a backyard adventure!

The exuberant dog who first appeared in 'If You Give a Pig a Party' (2005) is now the star of his very own book. Written in the irresistible "If You Give..." tradition, 'If You Give a Dog a Donut' (2011) is another home run from the beloved team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Dogs, Animals, Fiction, Food, Storytime

32 pages, Library Binding

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

Laura Joffe Numeroff is the NYT best-selling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, What Mommies/Daddies Do Best and Raising a Hero. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Pratt Institute. Laura grew up as the youngest of three girls, surrounded by art, music, and books. An avid animal lover, Laura has always wanted to write a book about service dogs. She now lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me just say, if you give a dog a donut (one that is made for humans) and a glass of apple juice (which is also the second line in the book) that is an absolute no, no! Those type of treats are not good for dogs!

A dog cannot process the sugary sweet ingredients in a donut.

(Actually, they really aren’t good for humans, but I digress!)

Donuts have certain ingredients which are unhealthy for dogs, and some have caffeine or chocolate which can actually kill dogs. In fact, too much sugar and fat can actually lead dogs to develop pancreatitis.

And…Apple juice contains large amounts of added sugar and acid which could lead to stomach upset, weight gain and other health issues.

But…This is a kid’s book, why am I spoiling it by talking about whether dogs can eat donuts or drink apple juice?

I guess because that is exactly what happened in this book, and I didn’t want kids to go off and give their dog a donut or apple juice in their bowls.

It is a cute book, and I believe the intention was showing a boy playing with his dog, and how fun it was, and all the things his dog would do after giving him a donut and a glass of apple juice.

But…I believe it could also be the wrong message.

So…I felt compelled to speak up on behalf of dogs everywhere.

Good health is important all the way around.

And…Kids need to know what is good for their dogs, too.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like if you are going to collect 'dog' books, you gotta have this one. Fun drawings and fun conclusions. it would be good after reading one of these books to make your own conclusions with a child to help feed his imagination. So many lose that creativity as they get older, best to feed it every day throughout childhood.

We don't often have apple juice in our house, much less want it to go with a donut, but of course I can understand if he wants more and -
'There won't be any left, so he'll want to make his own
He'll go outside to pick some apples.'

Nice book and illustrations. Although I do wonder why they don't fix that fence...

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice book about a boy and his dog.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the “If You Give a…” books, and I love dogs and (vegan) donuts and alliteration. I do like the books in this series where the animal and the item start with the same letter, and so far my favorite of the books is (I think) the first one I ever read: Moose/Muffin. So, I love Dog being coupled with Donut.

I’m not sure this deserves a full 4 star rating, but I really liked it. The anthropomorphizing of the dog to the extent it was done didn’t really appeal to me. But, I love the way one thing flows into another here, and love how it gets to the end from the beginning, and the live in the moment joy of the dog definitely fits dogs. Very cute!

The illustration style isn’t really my cup of tea but the content is so adorable I can’t help but enjoy the pictures.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers who’ve enjoyed any of the other “If You Give…” books.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It still amazes me that Numeroff has made an entire career out of these "If You Give A . . ." books, but, hey - at least this one has a dog. And donuts.

[Chadi Raheb · Rating 4 out of 5]

الان به نظرم اومد که تمام شخصیت‌های این سری «اگر به فلان یک بیسار بدی» شدیدا مشکل تمرکز دارن و هایپراکتیو هم هستن. در قالب کتاب خیلی بامزه‌ست ولی احتمالا در واقعیت باید خیلی دردناک باشه این پرش مداوم ذهن 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Sara C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This book was very cute. Gives you step by step what happens when a dog asks for a donut. It starts with the dog asking for a donut and that leads to something else each time which eventually leads you back to donuts. It is a fun book that will keep you guessing!

Activity: This book is for younger ages and I would do a sequencing activity. In this book, everything the dog does leads to something else. After we finish reading the book, I would ask them what the dog did next. For example, the dog eats a donut then wants apple juice....what did the dog want after he go apple juice? This could be challenging for some children but it will be good to see how much they remember of the book and know that everything leads to something else in a sequence. For the younger grades, I would ask them what they think the dog will want next each time before I flip the page to see what fun answers they give.

Citation: Numeroff, L. (2011). If You Give A Dog A Donut (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins.

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If You Give a Dog a Donut is a playful, sometimes funny book, with nice illustrations, but I can’t say I like it very much. Giving a dog a sugary donut, (okay, it doesn’t actually say sugary in the text, but most donuts have some) is not a good idea. The sugar is bad for their health. And even if this idea is presented in a playful, fantastical story I still think it should have been better to stick closer to what actually is good for dogs.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great consistency as with the other "If you give" books. Sometimes I wonder if this pattern has been over done by Numeroff, but kids love the silliness of the needy animals as main characters. And older ones like me can try to figure out how Numeroff will trace the reader back to the original problem of giving the character something only to have him want more. Personally, I think I would be a great main character for a new story entitled "If you give your wife a $20.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I am such a dork. I LOVE LAURA NUMEROFF's BOOKS! Haha. Okay that's out. Needless to say when my mom showed my sibs and I that she got this from the library, we all jumped for it, more like competed to read it. Well, being the big sister that I am I was able to wait while my sibs read it in like a minute, but I loved it. Haha. These books are the cutest. I think I'll write a tribute. If you give and Iguana an Ice Cream Cone. :D

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book to my kids brought back found memories of my mother reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to my brother and I. She'd read it to us over and over, as many times as we asked. We loved that book just as much as my kids enjoyed this. I'll definitely be buying this one soon.

[Kayla Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally got around to reading this one. It was okay - if I had never read Numeroff's other books, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately, this just pales in comparison to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. That said, it's still a cute book that my kids enjoyed.

[Julio Bonilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you give a dog a doughnut...

If that were so, the dog would first sniff it then eat it. Dogs will eat ANYTHING!

It’s my first time reading one of these books. Talk about 🐶 with ADHD! 🤔Dog needs to go on a walk to get distracted.

[Ronan Crutchfield]

I liked this one, but not as much as “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”

[Oliver · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin as a kid, and on a whim decided to check them (and If You Give a Pig a Pancake and this one) out from the library. As I mentioned in my review for the pig-pancake problem, Laura Joffe Numeroff doesn't bother doing anything besides changing the animal and food between each installment: I love dogs and donuts, but why bother continuing with the series if the ending is always the same? It's especially frustrating to read these back to back.

At least in the other ones, the food and beverage pairings make sense. Sure, you could drink apple juice with a donut... but no one does. I get Numeroff didn't want to reuse milk from the first one, but the obvious second choice would be coffee...

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute, sequential tale tells how a simple request for apple juice can lead to an adventure. In typical Numeroff style, an easily distracted dog takes the boy through a sea of seemingly unconnected activities. From playing baseball to treasure hunting, the exuberant dog jumps from one activity to the next, until finally ending back where he started, with a donut.
The cute, cartoonish illustrations bring to life the fun and chaos of the dog's day. The craziness of the situation is seen more in the illustrations, especially when seeing how absurd the dog behaves or how hard it is for the little boy to keep up with his beloved pet. The movement of the pictures is very much diagonal, alluding to the boundless energy of the dog. There is not a lot of detail in the backgrounds, often filled with blotchy white space, but that doesn't detract from the allure of the illustrations. The text never appears on the same place one each page, mirroring the disarray of what the dog does.

[Brandon Colligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a good book but found it a little too simple even for a children book. The book starts out with what would happen if you gave a dog a donut? It eventually leads to other events after giving a dog a donut. After all these things are given to the dog, the story leads back to him wanting a donut. It had a charming but yet dull form of events that kept on leading on to a simple concept. "What a dog would want if you give him a donut" Besides that it is a very entertaining read!I would recommend this book to younger children but would also be entertaining for teenagers and adults.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if this book really adds anything to the "If You Give a __ a __" series, but it is pretty darn cute. The illustrations are joyous, and, like the others in the series, it would be a delight to use with kids. The first time through it would be great for making predictions, and later readings would be fun for having kids recall what is next. And, as always, students can write their own stories, aiming to make them circular as well.

[Rashanda Ravenel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces cause and effect by telling what will happen if you give a dog a donut. It encourages creativity and the release of imagination by showing many different activities all done in the backyard. I would use this book to talk to children about what dogs should eat and things that can be harmful for dogs. Students can share if they have a dog or pet at home. We can then write our own stories about what would happen if we gave our pet a donut, a waffle, or whatever they want.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just got done reading this book to my 4K class that came into the library. They really enjoyed it! They couldn't wait to find out what the dog would want next. This book brought up some great conversation about what dogs can/can't eat. Their take on the world is so cute! For those younger readers, books like this never get old.

[Dan Crist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was good book for all ages. I read it with some students in my class. The pictures were nice, detailed and caught the reader's eye. If you like picture books and a nice easy read this book is definitely for you. The main theme of this book is that the dog gets the donut, but afterwords he wants other things. This book can definitely relate to people in real life.

[Megan Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audience: Primary
Genre: Picture book
Book Share: Have you ever been on an adventure with your pet, a friend, or a family member? This book is about a boy who gives a dog a donut, and the dog takes the boy on an adventure! If you love funny stories and dogs, you would love this book. Read this to see what kind of adventure you could go on if you give a dog a donut.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay, not as charming to me as earlier installments, like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

[Kiera Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Laura Numeroff book series! I think this book could be good when you have doggie lovers in your classroom or if your teaching a lesson on alliteration. You could even bring in donuts and apple juice to share with the children for snack!

[Hapzydeco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderfully illustrated book is part of our local library StoryWalk program. It is with a smile that we have observed the children as they walk around the pond and read the dog's quest. Donuts and apple juice - what a great combination.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, it's possible my liking for this book was increased by having Chris Evans read it aloud on Instagram :D.

But also I love if-then pile-up stories, this is a delightful one, AND Felicia Bond's illustrations are marvelouly kinetic and full of energy.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read. Mostly just about how we get distracted by so many things ... and that's part of having fun!

[Jessie Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I loved it because I love donuts. I love it because the dog is greedy and I’m greedy, haha!” -Wolfie

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The children love this series and so do I.

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ludicrous tale of an obviously, by description of the poor diet this animal is subjected to, neglected dog with what appears to be a severe case of undiagnosed ADD.

This jumps all over the place. First it needs more apple juice (which, surprise upon surprise, it's owners are out of. Thus, proving their inability to adequately provide for their pets nutritional needs).

Hopped on refined sugar with inadequate supervision the dog flits about and ends up in danger situations like climbing a tree for fruit picking. ADD, clearly untreated by prescription medication, sees the protagonist full circle to where all of the problems began, once again turning unhealthy foods, doughnuts, for comfort.

I will give one star for the dogs remarkable ability to complete tasks like playing baseball and apple picking with no opposable thumbs and the cute way the dogs butt is drawn in the photo of him holding his bowl and peering into the screen door (more proof of neglect from the owners for being locked out of the home).