For Grade 4 French Immersion teacher Randi Paton, the idea for her debut picture book didn’t come from years of careful planning – it came from her three-year-old with no filter.

“My daughter was definitely the inspiration for this book,” says Paton, who teaches at École R.W. Bobby Bend School in Stonewall, Manitoba. “I’m sure if you’ve been around three-year-olds, you know they can say very unpredictable things.”

Those moments sparked the creation of Donut You Dare (Say That Out Loud), a book aimed at children ages four to eight. The story follows Little Donut as he navigates a full day of social situations, with his mom, friends, teachers, and bus driver, learning to pause and think before he speaks. A little voice in his head reminds him: “Donut you dare say that aloud!”

“It didn’t seem to be a common theme in picture books,” Paton says. “So, I really wanted to make a picture book that was very explicit in teaching that skill.” The ideas of kindness, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence were just as much inspired by her students as by her daughter. “For my students it’s a good reminder that some thoughts just need to stay in your head,” she laughs.

What makes the book even more remarkable is that Paton did almost everything herself and entirely old school. “I actually illustrated with pen and paper and then transferred it to the computer,” she says. “I even wrote the book with pen and paper and then typed it up.” The whole process, from writing to self-publishing on Amazon, took about nine months.

When she shared the book with her own class, Paton says “I didn’t actually tell them that I wrote it before, because I wanted an honest review.” The kids’ response spoke for itself. “They just laughed the entire time. And then after I said, this book is really special to me, and I told them I wrote it, they were just blown away.”

The book went on to hit number one for new releases in its category on Amazon, something Paton never anticipated. “My goal was just to create a story that would help my daughter and my students and that people would enjoy.” It has since sold between 150 to 200 copies, found a home in local libraries, and spread as far as Alberta. Her own school library carries three copies.

Perhaps the most delightful sign of its success? Kids quoting it around the school. “They’ll be like, ‘Donut you dare!’ My kids drop that line in class all the time.”

Paton is currently working on a sequel Donut You Dare (Tell that Lie) featuring familiar characters alongside a few new ones, tackling a fresh set of social-emotional skills. Paton has already tested it with her class. “They loved it,” says. She’s hoping the new book will be ready for Christmas.

The ripple effect from her book was something she didn’t quite expect. “I have some students that have started writing their own picture books now as well, so it really inspired them. So that feels special, for sure.”