Read Aloud Hall of Fame #17: ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT

You need a book. A can’t miss book. A read aloud that will cast a wide net and pull everyone in. This is the idea behind The 100 Scope Notes Read Aloud Hall of Fame.

In each post I’ll share a read aloud that has never let me down. Some will be obvious and popular. Others lesser-known. All will be story time gold.

Click here to see all the Read Aloud Hall of Fame inductees.

Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller

Way back in 2009, I wrote this about Arnie the Doughnut:

An absurdist masterpiece in both writing and illustration. Our hero goes through a lot in one day: being created, finding a home, avoiding consumption, and eventually welcoming his new role in life as a doughnut dog. Hilarious even after multiple readings with subtle themes of belonging, Arnie the Doughnut (published in 2003) has more personality in its publication page than some picture books have in total.

And the legend of Arnie has only grown since I wrote that. There’s an Arnie chapter book series, and an excellent Arnie companion book (which is also a great read aloud) that have added to the character’s Hall of Fame resumé. This is a book I return to regularly and always come away happy I did.

Filed under: Read Aloud Hall of Fame