Make Way For Donuts
In 1941, Robert McCloskey published, Make Way For Ducklings, a classic children's book that would go on to become a Caldecott Medal winner, as well as the inspiration for two statues. One in the Boston Public Garden where the story takes place, and the other, 4500 miles away in Moscow where it was presented as a gift to Russian First Lady Raisa Gorbachev, by then First Lady Barbara Bush.While instantly recognizable and widely regarded as McCloskey’s finest work, it is lesser known that it was the success of this volume that allowed him to pursue his true passion in life, which was an unquenchable love of donuts.
The 40’s were a different time however, and McCloskey found it difficult to profess this perceived weakness openly. Instead he buried his fervency within the pages of his next book Homer Price.
Homer Price, is the story of a young boy with a mechanical mind and an uncanny knack for both, getting into trouble, and getting out of it. His Uncle Ulysses owns a diner that includes an automatic donut making machine. One day, the machine goes on the fritz, and since Homer has a way with such things, Ulysses asks him to have a look. Homer, of course, does a first rate job of fixing the machine, and soon it is cranking out piles of warm rings full of sugary goodness.
McCloskey wrote:
Rings of batter started dropping into the hot fat. After a ring of batter was cooked on one side, an automatic gadget turned it over and the other side would cook. Then another automatic gadget gave the doughnut a little push and it rolled neatly down a little chute, all ready to eat.
McCloskey couldn’t leave it at this however. One can only guess that his mania for all things rounded and ringed had built to a level that was beyond his control. Not only did he make the machine automatic, he made it unstoppable. And it goes on to fill the room with wonderful smelling, fresh from the fryer, almost-but-not-quite-handmade donuts.
Homer pushed the button marked Stop and there was a little click, but nothing happened. The rings of batter kept right on dropping into the hot fat, and an automatic gadget kept right on turning them over, and another automatic gadget kept right on giving them a little push, and the doughnuts kept right on rolling down the little chute, all ready to eat.
The bulk of McCloskey’s story goes on to investigate the various ways they can get rid of the donuts, by eating them, and enlisting others to help them eat them. (Which of course is awesome.) I have heard criticism of the story, both at the time I read it, and since, that goes something like this. “Why didn’t they just unplug it.” But I know the answer to the question, because I have uncovered McCloskey as the donut fanatic he was, and he, like me, would never have considered that option.
Why would anyone want to do that?
posted by Randal Bachin at
3:26 PM
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