Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers

Product Description
Once upon a time there were two geese called Mr and Mrs Plumpster. Each Spring they returned to the marshes of their ancestors, and Mrs Plumpster laid her eggs. Soon six fine young Plumpsters hatched: Archie, Freda, Jennifer, Oswald, Timothy and Borka. But Borka was different. Borka had no feathers and could not fly. When winter came the other geese flew off in search of warmer climates, leaving Borka all alone. But her adventure was only just beginning …

Amazon.co.uk Review
Borka is a bald goose, unlike her brothers and sisters, so her mother,Mrs Plumpster, knits her a woollen jersey which means she is warmer at night but a laughing stock among the other young geese! Poor Borka is overlooked when it is time to fly off for the winter but luckily, seeking shelter, she accidentally stows away on a boat headed for London. Her new friends, Captain McAllister and his crew on the Crombie, find her a home at Kew Gardens and here the geese do not laugh at her. She even makes a special friend, a goose called Ferdinand, who cares for her and teaches her to swim. With a nice personal touch, the story ends by asking the reader to look out, if ever visiting Kew Gardens, for a goose who looks a little different because ‘it might well be Borka’.

Children aged three to seven will love to hear this story again and again and with its echoes of the Ugly Duckling and subtle message of acceptance, they will delight in the happy ending. The illustrations are bright and bold and the impressionist quality of some in particular will make an impact on the young reader ? You can almost hear the flapping of wings as the geese set off on their journey and the bleak, drizzly evening when Borka finds herself alone is vividly brought to life. This charming book has long been a childhood favourite, winning the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1964, soon after it was first published. (Ages 3 to 7) –Alison Jardine