Zac and Jac
Cathy Jenkins, illustrated by Monique Steele
Graffeg (Cadno)

Early in the school year, nine year old Jac’s teacher asked the class to write about their real-life heroes and Jac had chosen his dad, a lorry driver. That though is before Jac is asked to join the soccer team his good friend Zac belongs to. Thereafter things at home start getting uncomfortable.

Then comes the news from class teacher, Miss Parker: three professional footballers are coming to talk to the class the following day. They are members of an organisation and what they talk about is racism. As he listens, Jac feels extremely uncomfortable as he starts to realise that the dad he previously thought a hero is in fact, a racist, and that his best friend Zac and his father David, have been the subjects of some of Dad’s racist remarks.

Now with a heightened awareness of racism and how such prejudice is usually passed down from one generation to the next, Jac (from whose viewpoint the story s told) becomes determined to help make change happen in society, starting with his own family. His mum admits she’d been aware of his dad’s attitudes but hadn’t challenged them. Can he with the help and support of his friends and Mum show his Dad that people should not be judged simply by what he thinks they are?

Using football (a children’s local team) as a backdrop, Cathy Jenkins has created a powerful story, sensitively showing what an evil racism is and encouraging youngsters to challenge it whenever it raises its ugly head. That way lines a better future for everyone.