The very best doughnut by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Amani Haydar

In The very best doughnut we have an early chapter book which is a very warm, engaging and easy read for emergent readers. Published in 2022 by Pan Macmillan Australia, it is typeset in Basic Commercial by Billy Blue Creative (a design studio) in Sydney.  The creativity of the varying fonts and page designs create interest for the new reader and the double spaced lines aid reading success. Illustrated by Amani Haydar with simple, buoyant illustrations with some on double page spreads, the young reader is well supported with both easy text and supporting visuals.

The very best doughnut is part of a new series edited by Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah which celebrates Australia's multicultural society. The very best doughnut features Adam, a Muslim child, who has difficulties refusing the challenge of a doughnut with pink icing during the fasting period of Ramadan. This book, with the ironic juxtaposition of an American doughnut with Ramadan as its central dilemma will be a delight for Muslim children as they will see themselves in the story. It will also be a useful book for children who are unfamiliar with Ramadan. Reading books like this demystifies cultural difference. Abdel-Fattah is a prominent Palestinian Egyptian Muslim author and human rights activist. Many teachers and librarians would be familiar with Does my head look big in this? (2005)- one of her best known books aimed at Middle Years/ Young Adult readership.

Other books available in this series are Maku by Meyne Wyatt (Australian First Nations) and When granny came to stay by Alice Pung (China). 

Teachers need to be aware of this series of empowering books for emergent readers which are conceptualised so that more children can see themselves reflected in text.  Recommended for school libraries.

Themes: Ramadan, Multi-cultural classroom life.

Wendy Jeffrey