The Girl and the Barnacle Goose

Every autumn, Maya waits on the hill behind her house in her yellow raincoat and red rubber boots, listening for the honk of a barnacle goose she calls Honk. Each year, the goose flies over the rooftops with a silver ring on one leg, and Maya wonders where he comes from and where he goes. Her grandmother Ruth, who always carries a thermos and a notebook, explains that geese are great travelers, following the same route from cold northern lands to warm wetlands. Together, they set off to follow Honk, walking past the marsh, crossing green fields, climbing rocky hills, and resting beside cold, clear lakes.

At every stop, Maya sketches what she sees and learns that each place is a habitat where the goose can rest, eat, and stay safe. When she asks how Honk knows the way, Grandma Ruth explains that geese remember the route and follow one another, and that safe places connect the whole journey. Back home, Maya shares her map with her friend Pip, and together they present it at school, where the class decides to plant reeds near the marsh and make a poster about wildlife. This gentle story by Ebru Mina TOMURCUK shows young readers how migration works and why connected habitats matter. It can be read on Onlinemasal Com.Tr.