The Smeds and the Smoos

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Music, laughs and interplanetary adventures for everyone aged 3 and up, from Tall Stories – the company that brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage. I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married. This story feels hyper relevant when you look at everything that's going on in the world at the moment. Republicans vs. Democrats, Conservatives vs. Labour, everywhere you look it's a red vs. blue world and for little ones who have no understanding of politics and no idea why everyone is so angry at each other it must be quite scary. It feels like The Smeds and the Smoos has arrived at exactly the right time, bursting onto the scene to remind children that underneath we are all the same. It doesn't matter what colour you are, and oftentimes the people warning you to stay away from others have no idea what they're really talking about. Julia Donaldson se ‘Goorgomgaai’ en ‘Goorgomgaatjie’ is seker van die heel lieflikste moderne kinderboeke. Beide, asook hierdie een, se teks is in vrolike rymtaal en die volkleur illustrasies is deur Axel Scheffler. Die Afrikaanse vertaling is deur die alombeminde Jaco Jacobs en die boek is in ‘n pragtige groot hardeband formaat, perfek vir klein handjies van jong selflesers. Dis egter ewe geskik vir dramaties voorlees en prentjies wys vir die kleintjies en dra op ‘n speelse wyse die boodskap van ‘onbekend maak onbemind’ aan kinders oor. Volwassenes wat graag wil weet watter kleur ‘n rooi Smooi en ‘n blou Smou se baba is, kan gerus ook hierna loer.

The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson | Goodreads

The story uses phonetically decodable words and rhymes throughout which would give children the opportunity to read the story for themselves and recognise word patterns. While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done.This story reminds me a bit of Romeo and Juliet, and the film adaptation of Gnomeo and Juliet as they all focus on a forbidden love based on family views.

The Smeds and the Smoos | BookTrust

Julia Donaldson’s uses phonetically decodable alien words, such as ‘loobular lake’ and ‘glompoms’. This means that children are able to watch the decoding of alien words, modelled by a reader, or are able to practise decoding them themselves within a fun and memorable story, giving their work at school on alien words meaning and excitement.

I think the story carries some good messages of tolerance and acceptance whilst appealing to a younger audience. It shows generational differences and views, demonstrating how the views of the younger generation are important and can help to open older generations to changing their views and beliefs.

BBC iPlayer - The Smeds and the Smoos BBC iPlayer - The Smeds and the Smoos

But peace is restored, and love conquers all in this happiest of love stories. Teaching Ideas and Resources: English Read the title of the book first. What do you think it is about? What is a ‘Smed’? What is a ‘Smoo’? Where do they live? What might happen in the story? Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.

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Make up a new story about two people, animals or aliens who want to be friends but are not allowed. One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.