Review: Are Donuts Real Nuts?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2013
"Donuts" by Julia Dweck, and spectacularly illustrated by Adam Duff, is an absurdly cute and colorful story about a bunch of squirrels who are forced to relocate after somebody cut down all their trees. However, there was one little squirrel, by the name of Merl, who stayed behind. Merl the squirrel searched for acorns every day, until one day he found one lying in the grass. Instead of eating it or storing it for winter, he used it to make a wish. He closed his eyes, held the acorn tight, and wished for a tree. When he opened his eyes, lo and behold! There was an oak tree! It was a tall, healthy looking oak tree, but didn't have a nut to its name. Still, it was Merl's tree, so he watered it and shined its leaves, and spent a lot of time just swinging on its branches, or running from limb to limb. But Merl still needed something to eat, so he went to a local park where humans sometimes fed the squirrels. He saw a man on a bench, with a paper bag in his lap, so he ran over to the man, hoping for a few crumbs. But the man didn't have any nuts, just a donut, which he gave Merl.This tale continues through a few seasonal changes, and crowds of onlookers. The story really has no purpose other than to entertain children, and the artful illustrations certainly help in that regard. It is a cute story, and ideally suited for preschool aged children. I recommend this for kids up to perhaps first or second grade, at which time they should be reading it to themselves. They will appreciate the tale for its accompanying illustrations, which virtually tell the story themselves.