Draw doughnuts with big round eyes, put them on a roller coaster, and because their holes look like open mouths, they appear to be screaming in fear. Draw doughnuts in a Maine lake, and they are transformed into floating inner tubes where a cartoon dad can relax and fish for more doughnuts. Draw rings around a doughnut, and it becomes Saturn floating in space.

These are just a handful of the drawings, executed by both children and adults, that appear in a new coloring book produced by The Holy Donut in Portland and Scarborough – called “Donuts Make Me Happy.”

The coloring book will be used to cheer up sick kids at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland and to raise money for the Maine Center for Grieving Children in Portland.

Leigh Kellis, owner of The Holy Donut, says the idea for the book came from Katy Fulton, the company’s “kindness coordinator” (yes, that’s a real position) about six months ago.

Kellis asked their customers to draw the pictures for the coloring book, and the result was 28 black and white drawings ready for a set of crayons.

Some of the drawings come with challenges. One page asks the child to “decorate” a few doughnuts, while another suggests using a drawing to create a “doughnut monster.”

There’s a doughnut-themed crossword puzzle, and a word search game where the child has to find words such as glaze, sprinkles and yum.

Kellis’ favorite drawing? The one on the cover. It shows a girl in a cape lifting a set of doughnut barbells.

“There’s a lot of symbolism in the book,” Kellis said. “A lot of people had hidden meaning in their art. That one symbolized being a strong kid, a strong person.”

The coloring books cost $5 each and are for sale at all Holy Donut locations and online. All proceeds will go to the Center for Grieving Children.

In addition, a stash of coloring books goes to the center, as well as to the children’s hospital and other area organizations that help children in need.

Kellis delivered the first batch of coloring books and crayons, along with some actual doughnuts, to the staff at the children’s hospital last week.

“The concept of using a public business to do good is kind of our mission,” Kellis said. “We have a lot of visibility in Portland, a lot of people coming through, so that’s a good opportunity to make a difference.”

Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

mgoad@pressherald.com

Twitter: MeredithGoad

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