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Currently shortlisted for the |
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and print the Borks Spot the Difference & Word Search activity sheets |
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AN ADVENTURE IN EVOLUTION
illustrated by Elys Dolan
On a faraway planet, quite like our own Earth,
a bunch of Bork mothers has just given birth
to a great brood of Borklings, in all shapes and sizes.
Some look like their parents – but some are surprises.
The Borks used to be smooth-furred, short-necked, blue creatures. So how did they get to be shaggy, long-necked and yellow? How the Borks Became introduces Charles Darwin’s world-changing theory of natural selection to children in an entertaining blend of science and storytelling.
"This fantastically funny tale combines humour, rhyming text and wonderfully vibrant illustrations to present evolution and natural selection in an accessible way."
BOOKTRUST
"Zany characters and joyous text combine into a thoughtful, lucid explanation of Darwin’s theory, so whether you’re a Y6 teacher starting this topic, or want to introduce younger children to the idea, there’s no better starting place."
TEACH PRIMARY
Read more of these and other reviews
Hardcover •ISBN-10: 1910959197 • ISBN-13:9781910959190
This book is also available in an Italian edition entitled
Perché noi Boffi Siamo Cosi? translated by Lucia Feoli
and published by Editoriale Scienza
ISBN 978-88-7307-943-9



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"Most storybooks that touch on natural selection only further confuse kids, but DEBORAH KELEMEN |
This book is forCharles Darwinfor explaining |
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Illustrations © 2018 Elys Dolan. Reproduced by permission of Otter-Barry Books.


How do you go about explaining crucial yet complex scientific concepts such as natural variation and evolution to children? Jonathan Emmett’s brilliantly funny rhyming story tells the tale of the Borks, Who used to be blue with smooth fur and short necks, but are now tall, shaggy and yellow. “What caused all these changes? What brought them about? Well, we’ll have to go back a few years to find out...”. Children will adore the Seuss-style rhymes, which are begging to be read aloud. Let Elys Dolan’s delightfully detailed illustrations take your class on a journey to see how weather conditions, predators and food sources all play their part in the process. The success of Emmett’ s tale is that the zany characters and joyous text combine into a thoughtful, lucid explanation of Darwin’s theory, so whether you’re a Y6 teacher starting this topic, or want to introduce younger children to the idea, there’s no better starting place.
Evolution can be a difficult concept to explain to children, but this amusing picture book presents it beautifully … this fantastically funny tale combines humour, rhyming text and wonderfully vibrant illustrations to present evolution and natural selection in an accessible way.
We found that the more we read it and looked at the pages, the more questions we had about evolution. I was surprised by how engaged the children were with the story and how much they were able to understand, and we have since gone on to explore evolution more. It breaks down a tricky concept in a way that is approachable for younger children – and you can look for rainbow dungs on most pages (win-win). Although it’s aimed at younger children, I believe this book could be used through to Year 6 to introduce such a complex subject … The children in my class have responded fantastically to it and it has become a regular in our shared reading time.
Isobel Potter, Year 1 and 2 Teacher, TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT
Rhyming text is used throughout the book, which gives it the feeling of a Dr. Seuss book. This also means that it is a great book for reading aloud and it is the kind of book that encourages a lot of discussion … A quirky palette of colour is used to create bright and funny illustrations, with plenty to discover on each page … How the Borks Became is a great example of how humour, inventiveness and illustration can be used to explain difficult concepts to younger children.
Paul Staunton, CHILDREN'S BOOKS IRELAND
A funny, accessible introduction to the concept of evolution and natural selection,
using the fantastical creaturesof the Planet Charlebob. Dolan’s pictures are a riot.
Fiona Noble, THE BOOKSELLER
The combination of Emmett’s brilliant, quirky rhyming narrative and Elys Dolan’s wonderfully witty, whimsical illustrations is an enormously enjoyable amalgam of science and storytelling, which offers a perfect starting point for the KS2 evolution topic.
Jill Bennett, RED READING HUB
This story is an accessible and entertaining way to introduce the concept of evolution and natural selection, told through amusing verse. The Borks live on a planet which is rather like Earth. All the Borks are all a little bit different - but long ago, they were all very different. Read the verses to find out all the things that happened to make them gradually different while still remaining Borks. By the end of the story, young readers will have a basic knowledge of how Evolution by natural selection works. Elys Dolan's colourful illustrations are full of fun and children will enjoy spotting all the variations.
Jonathan's humorous writing style marries perfectly to Elys Dolan's gloriously comic and brilliantly realised alt-earth here in a truly superb book … an utterly brilliant way to describe evolution. Full of imagination, cleverness, detail and fun. Highly recommended
The story of the evolution of the Borks is skillfully told in rhyme which makes it great to read out loud. Not only will children be entertained by the story of the Borks but they will also learn about evolution of creatures (and natural selection) which will make it a useful book to share in the classroom. Elys Dolan's artwork perfectly compliments Jonathan's text. It's bright and eyecatching, and gives the reader lots to look out for on each spread.
Damian Harvey, AN AWFULLY BIG BLOG ADVENTURE
"If you are looking for a book that is both fun to read and educational, you have found it here! The Borks are a likeable animal and their evolution and challenges are explained in an entertaining and educational way … The big, colourful pictures bring the science to life and telling the tale through rhyme makes it accessible and fun to read. You can’t fault a book that makes challenge science accessible to even the youngest minds! …A brilliant book to read and explore with all primary aged children. This should be a must in school/class libraries as an opener to a complex topic."
"A fab introduction to the concept of evolution."
Sarah Burns, LET THEM BE SMALL