How the Borks Became

Using imaginary animals called the Borks, the book shows how variations within a species happen naturally and how this enables animals to evolve and survive. The author uses thoughtful explanations and humour to explain a very complex scientific concept. By focusing on just three ways that the Borks have changed, the book shows how the original Borks differ so much to the current Borks. Finally, the author shows how this relates to our evolution, and our journey from prokaryote to human.

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 lot of credit has to go to the illustrator too, whose colourful art wouldn’t look amiss on the Cartoon Network. A quirky palette of colour is used to create bright and funny illustrations, with plenty to discover on each page. Her character design effectively shows how the animals evolve, and the notes on different animals inside the cover is also a funny and entertaining touch.

How the Borks Became is a great example of how humour, inventiveness and illustration can be used to explain difficult concepts to younger children.