A colourfully illustrated entertaining story in rhyme form about how Jac solves the mystery of his farm animals' illness, by a master storyteller and illustrator; for children aged 5-8 years. A Welsh adaptation, Beth sy, Jac?, is available.

Stori ddifyr ar ffurf mydr ac odl wedi ei darlunio'n lliwgar am y modd y mae Jac yn datrys dirgelwch salwch anifeiliaid ei fferm, gan storïwr a darlunydd meistrolgar; i blant 5-8 oed. Mae addasiad Cymraeg, Beth sy, Jac?, ar gael.

Young bachelor farmer Jac lives contentedly on a hilltop farm in Wales with his animal friends; however, not even Megan the Vet can diagnose why the creatures – all of them female – are out of sorts. His knitting Nain, who featured in the Tir na n-Og Prize winning Cold Jac, is nowhere to be found to offer her advice.

It is only when the naïve Jac follows the escaped animals to the vale below that the mystery is solved. Having seen the group photograph on the livestock sale poster he has had on display at home, they have been pining for the companionship of the fine male specimens featured in the advertisement. In a happy ending for cow, cat, sheepdog, sow, ewe and hen, they all pair up as nature intended. This could have left their owner in solitude, so it is with relief that readers will arrive at the more satisfying if contrived fairytale conclusion. This is a children’s story after all!

The conversational rhyming style moves the story along at a pace which five to seven year olds will find engaging as different corners of the farm are visited – shed, nest, sty, etc. The text is interspersed with the practical everyday, and agricultural vocabulary is used in a natural, unobtrusive manner. Having probably come across a number of popular picture books with a farm as background, both children and adults will enjoy the enriched portrayal of such an environment here; similarly, the familiar puzzle element is handled in an original way which is fresh and amusing.

Not only the title but also the cover illustration fire initial curiosity as seven pairs of steadfast eyes gaze through a curtained window towards the reader/observer. Are they looking into the house featured on the back? Is it Jac’s home? What are they staring at? Green dominates the spring and early summer rural landscape, and the varied spreads tend to include solid-looking, friendly, individual creatures as well as Jac about his farming duties against bright, comfortable interiors and convincingly real buildings. Although Jac ‘wasn’t lonely’ according to the text, his busy isolation is subtly expressed. Alertness to the artist’s attention to detail – the bilingual poster and vet’s phone number, the spider, bugs, wild birds and cheeky mouse which populate the pictures – will ensure much enjoyment beyond the plot.

It is impossible to accept that this second book marks the end of Jac’s ‘adventures’. What next, Jac?

M. Lorna Herbert Egan

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.