Ten years ago, J. B. Gill decided to make a change. He moved from the city to start his own farm. As one of the members of a pop group, Gill had lived a busy life but the farm gave him a way to relax.

Although farming was new to him, Gill took the challenge and his experiences helped him write his book Ace and the Animal Heroes. The story follows Ace, whose life changes greatly when he moves to the countryside. After trying on a pair of magical wellies（长筒靴）, Ace realizes he can speak to the animals, who make up their minds to protect the farm.

Gill says that if he had his own pair of magical wellies, he would love to speak to wildlife, especially the wild deer（鹿） that sometimes appear near his farm. As they have no owners, Gill feels like he’s sharing their home. “It’s really interesting to hear what they’re thinking and know where they’re at,” he said.

Gill got his ideas for writing from the animals on his family farm. His children, Ace and Chiara, helped out with his book. Together, Gill’s family made sure that the pictures in the book looked like the animals they’d been based on. He said, “All of those have been really great to piece the whole book together.”