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Smeds & The Smoos
Sur une lointaine planète vivaient Édouard et Jeannette, un Toubleu et une Tourouge. Par un beau matin, ces deux-là tombèrent amoureux. Le coup de foudre ! Malheureusement pour eux, sur la lointaine planète, Tourouges et Toubleus ne se mélangent pas, et bien plus encore : ils se détestent ! Hors de question donc pour une Tourouge d'épouser un Toubleu...
Paperback
Published June 4, 2020
7 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,223 books1,900 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
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.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
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.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
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.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
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.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
December 28, 2022
There's always a comfortable honesty quality when it comes to Donaldson/Scheffler picture books.
Whilst this wasn't the most original story, there twist of two alien races putting their differences aside due to young love is still a great way to explore acceptance and not to discriminate to even the youngest of readers.
Plus the Smeds (red) and the Smoos (Blue) are just so cute!
Whilst this wasn't the most original story, there twist of two alien races putting their differences aside due to young love is still a great way to explore acceptance and not to discriminate to even the youngest of readers.
Plus the Smeds (red) and the Smoos (Blue) are just so cute!
March 9, 2020
My current Y1 class are massive Julia Donaldson fans and so naturally, I have been working my way through her many books!
This is one of Donaldson's more recent picture books and it is magnificent!
The story is about two aliens, a Smed who is red and a Smoo who is blue. The Smeds and Smoos are not allowed to play with each other, but Janet, the Smed, and Bill, the Smoo, meet and fall in love!
It's an alien, rhyming, twisted take on Romeo and Juliet!
This story deals with very relevant and current topics such as unknown 'others', people's differences, showing love and kindness, acceptance, friendship, teamwork, and refugees (Donaldson dedicates the book to all the children of Europe).
The jargon and rhymes also massively lend themselves to phonics work - especially when looking at nonsense/alien words!
Another KS1 book corner must have!
This is one of Donaldson's more recent picture books and it is magnificent!
The story is about two aliens, a Smed who is red and a Smoo who is blue. The Smeds and Smoos are not allowed to play with each other, but Janet, the Smed, and Bill, the Smoo, meet and fall in love!
It's an alien, rhyming, twisted take on Romeo and Juliet!
This story deals with very relevant and current topics such as unknown 'others', people's differences, showing love and kindness, acceptance, friendship, teamwork, and refugees (Donaldson dedicates the book to all the children of Europe).
The jargon and rhymes also massively lend themselves to phonics work - especially when looking at nonsense/alien words!
Another KS1 book corner must have!
September 17, 2019
I enjoyed the rhyming throughout this story which gave it great flow. The illustrations were lovely and highlighted perfectly the message of inclusion and accepting different backgrounds/cultures.
June 1, 2021
Imagine Dr. Seuss and Lewis Carroll decided to collaborate on retelling Romeo and Juliet in space, giving it a happy ending. You might well get this antiracist book as a result.
December 23, 2019
I don't normally review kids storybooks on here, but I read this the other day with Logan and it is brilliant. Another great classic!
October 15, 2021
'The Smeds and The Smoos (2019) from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler - tells us the age old story of the Montagues and the Capulets, of the Sharks and the Jets of differences, of peace, love, tolerance and understanding - conceived, retold, reimagined, written and illustrated particularly brilliantly by Donaldson and Scheffler for younger readers.
So there's nothing new here, just a gentle yet important, pertinent and powerful message.
Donaldson and Scheffler at their best - brilliant.
So there's nothing new here, just a gentle yet important, pertinent and powerful message.
Donaldson and Scheffler at their best - brilliant.
October 3, 2019
The Smeds and the Smoos follows two young aliens. A Smed, named Janet and a Smoo named Bill. The Smeds and the Smoos are rival. Janet and Bills’ families tell them stories to warn them of the others. But Janet and Bill fall in love.
Eventually, after many disapproved meetings, Janet and Bill fly away together in a rocket ship, to live happily together. Their families are not impressed, the Smoos invited the Smeds onto their rocket ship and together they set off after them. Soaring around space, exploring different planets, nut Janet and Bill are nowhere to be seen. Eventually, all the aliens decide that the others aren’t bad after all. Janet and Bill are reunited with their families, with a surprise to share.
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.
The final page of this book reads, 'To all the children of Europe'. A subtle, child-appropriate way to share and shed light on current events in our country. No doubt children will be aware of current happenings, and might not understand or be able to ask questions about things. This text highlights the importance to see the human, to look past differences and what is being said about others and stick with who you like and what you believe in regardless.
Eventually, after many disapproved meetings, Janet and Bill fly away together in a rocket ship, to live happily together. Their families are not impressed, the Smoos invited the Smeds onto their rocket ship and together they set off after them. Soaring around space, exploring different planets, nut Janet and Bill are nowhere to be seen. Eventually, all the aliens decide that the others aren’t bad after all. Janet and Bill are reunited with their families, with a surprise to share.
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.
The final page of this book reads, 'To all the children of Europe'. A subtle, child-appropriate way to share and shed light on current events in our country. No doubt children will be aware of current happenings, and might not understand or be able to ask questions about things. This text highlights the importance to see the human, to look past differences and what is being said about others and stick with who you like and what you believe in regardless.
October 24, 2019
Julia Donaldsonin "Krinit ja krunat" (Mäkelä, 2019) on Romeo ja Julia -tarina lapsille, toki niin ettei lopussa kuolla vaan saadaan vauva ja ollaan onnellisia. Lopputulos on tuttu ja turvallinen, ilman mitään suurempia yllätyksiä. Suomennos ontuu hieman. Suvaitsevaisuutta ja erilaisuuden ymmärtämistä korostava teema on tärkeä, mutta aihetta käsittelevistä kirjoista suosittelisin mieluummin Mörkökarhua tai vaikka Krokoa mekossa.
April 26, 2021
I thought this picture book was cute and very colourful. I already read some of Julia Donaldson's books and love the fun illustrations by Axel Scheffler.
I like the meaning of this story: that you can love anyone and accepting each other for who we are no matter where we were born and brought up in. It doesn't matter because we all are the same in that we all have feelings and emotions we can relate to one another.
I like the meaning of this story: that you can love anyone and accepting each other for who we are no matter where we were born and brought up in. It doesn't matter because we all are the same in that we all have feelings and emotions we can relate to one another.
October 12, 2019
This books follows the story of a smed and a smoo who are both warned by their families to avoid the other. One is red and the other is blue. Despite their families views the smed and the smoo run away together and get married. Whilst Janet and Bill have ran away, their families look for them and in the process begin to form positive relationships.
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.
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.
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.
Clear cross curricular links- space (science), acceptance and tolerance (RE and PSHE), colours and colour mixing (art), animals and their habitats - the various planets and various creatures could lead to discussion about how the animals are adapted to that habitat (science), also the opportunity for various writing types- persuasive letters (why the smoos and smeds should be friends), descriptive writing about the different environments, opportunity to rewrite parts of the story, focus on rhyming words and poetry.
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.
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.
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.
Clear cross curricular links- space (science), acceptance and tolerance (RE and PSHE), colours and colour mixing (art), animals and their habitats - the various planets and various creatures could lead to discussion about how the animals are adapted to that habitat (science), also the opportunity for various writing types- persuasive letters (why the smoos and smeds should be friends), descriptive writing about the different environments, opportunity to rewrite parts of the story, focus on rhyming words and poetry.
November 9, 2019
Toivoin tältä Julia Donaldsonin Romeon ja Julian uudelleenkerronnalta hieman enemmän kuin mitä todellisuudessa sain. Erilaisuuden vieroksunta ja toisen suvun mustamaalaaminen ja totaalinen kanssakäynnin kieltäminen toki on ominaista myös alkuperäiselle tarinalle, mutta lastenkirjassa olisin toivonut hieman miedompia sanakäänteitä toisen puolen mustamaalauksessa.
Kirjasta jäi ikävä kyllä valju maku suuhun - tämä tosin saattaa kertoa enemmän rakkaudestani Romeota ja Juliaa kohtaan kuin tätä kirjaa.
Kirjasta jäi ikävä kyllä valju maku suuhun - tämä tosin saattaa kertoa enemmän rakkaudestani Romeota ja Juliaa kohtaan kuin tätä kirjaa.
November 15, 2019
This almost moved me to tears. I don't think all of Julia Donaldson's books are worthy of five stars but I love this. I just stood and read it in a bookshop and now I'm in bits.
'To all the children of Europe'. Just lovely! There is still Room on the Broom, indeed. (That's a response to something Axel Sheffler said in a speech that I was lucky to hear at the British Book Awards).
'To all the children of Europe'. Just lovely! There is still Room on the Broom, indeed. (That's a response to something Axel Sheffler said in a speech that I was lucky to hear at the British Book Awards).
October 13, 2019
A story about tolerance and accepting, so important in this day and age.
December 22, 2019
Ehkäpä huonoin Donaldson+Scheffler. Romeo ja Julia ovat tällä kertaa avaruusolioita, mutta eivät kovin onnistuneita.
December 21, 2020
Reads like a lost masterpiece from Dr. Seuss. I read it out loud for my coworkers and we all loved every second of it.
March 14, 2022
#diesmooieendiesmoue – Julia Donaldson
#proteaboekhuis
Op ‘n verre planeet woon daar Smooie en Smoue. Smooie is rooi, slaap in beddens, speel graag in water, drink pienk melk en eet brood. Smoue is blou, slaap in gate wat hulle self gawe, speel graag op hulle heuwel, drink tee en eet groen bredie. Fleur, ‘n mooie jong Smooi, se oupa het haar nog altyd teen Smoue gewaarsku soos wat Fanie, ‘n knap jong Smou, se ouma hom nog altyd teen Smooie gewaarsku het. Maar eendag ontmoet Fleur en Fanie en begin skelm saam speel totdat hulle, jare later, besluit om te trou. Maar o wee, die familie…… Dit dwing Fleur en Fanie om ‘n plan te beraam om hulle families anders te oortuig.
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.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Uitdieperdsebek
#uitdievulsebek
Protea Boekhuis
#proteaboekhuis
Op ‘n verre planeet woon daar Smooie en Smoue. Smooie is rooi, slaap in beddens, speel graag in water, drink pienk melk en eet brood. Smoue is blou, slaap in gate wat hulle self gawe, speel graag op hulle heuwel, drink tee en eet groen bredie. Fleur, ‘n mooie jong Smooi, se oupa het haar nog altyd teen Smoue gewaarsku soos wat Fanie, ‘n knap jong Smou, se ouma hom nog altyd teen Smooie gewaarsku het. Maar eendag ontmoet Fleur en Fanie en begin skelm saam speel totdat hulle, jare later, besluit om te trou. Maar o wee, die familie…… Dit dwing Fleur en Fanie om ‘n plan te beraam om hulle families anders te oortuig.
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.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Uitdieperdsebek
#uitdievulsebek
Protea Boekhuis
December 27, 2020
We are massive Julia Donaldson fans in my house and the smeds and the smoos lives up to hut standards. The concept of friendship and inclusion is important for children to understand. The two creatures seem as different as can be and despite the prejudice of their families are able to form a connection that embraces those differences. The rhyme is great, as you would expect from Donaldson, and Scheffler’s illustrations are bright and familiar. Through the illustrations you can slowly see the smeds and the smoods slowly accepting each other and that this was completed by the acception of the smoo-smed. I also liked the inter text references to the gruffalo through the illustration, I always enjoy finding them.
November 21, 2020
This is an excellent book about the Smeds and the Smoos who aren't meant to be friends. However, the book uses this to handle sensitive topics about inclusion, acceptance and friendship in a great child-friendly way. It could be used with children up to Year 3, there is lots of rhyme and colourful illustrations which helps to keep the pace for reading aloud and the adventure in the story. It could lead to talking about friendship and how differences should be celebrated, rather than having a negative attitude towards it.
July 10, 2025
non amo per niente il Gruffalo, ma gli Smei e gli Smufi sono degli sgorbietti adorabili ❤️ mi piacciono le storie divertenti in rima, con parole del tutto inventate, create unendone altre o giocando con i suoni. E poi c'è il messaggio più bello di sempre: cosa succede se una smea e uno smufo, così diversi, appartenenti a clan contrapposti e diffidenti l'uno nei confronti dell'altro, si innamorano? Che nasce un incredibile verde!
July 1, 2024
Another solid read from our fave, Julia Donaldson. The Smeds and the Smoos is an other-worldly story about accepting, and celebrating differences, marching to the best of your own drum, and connecting with others. All the classic fun of a Donaldson read, with great rhymes and cool illustrations. We loved this.
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June 27, 2021Loved it!
December 12, 2023
Wonderful book that many adults need to read.
January 11, 2024
When I tell you at the ripe age of 17, I love reading this book. I mean it. My inner child is healing.
March 29, 2021
I think I read somewhere that this is like a modern-day Seuss and that seems so appropriate because of the wonderfully nonsensical but great rhyme, and the odd and outlandish characters. It's fun and the crazy wordplay is fabulous, and it's a book about learning to appreciate and love those who are "other." And since I so love The Gruffalo, I'm predisposed to like most anything this author writes.
Caldecott-worthy: No
Caldecott-worthy: No
October 1, 2022
Someone gifted this to my daughter, and I read it even before she got around to it. A delightful little story set on a faraway planet which is peopled by two very different groups: the Smeds and the Smoos, who are at daggers drawn.
Colourful and utterly delicious illustrations; the rhyming poem-story is very well done; and the core message - about accepting differences - is lovely.
Colourful and utterly delicious illustrations; the rhyming poem-story is very well done; and the core message - about accepting differences - is lovely.
May 10, 2021
From the author of "The Gruffalo", comes a story vaguely reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet that my students (K-4) could not get enough of. The rhythmic nature of this rhyming book had many classes asking for more! In the end, it's a wonderfully entertaining tale of inclusion. This one is a crowd-pleaser and has the potential of joining "The Gruffalo" as a children's literature mainstay.
September 9, 2019
I feel conflicted about The Smeds and the Smoos. A Smed and a Smoo fall in love despite multiple warnings from their grandparents about why they should be avoiding each other, but unlike Romeo and Juliet this love story has a happy ending.
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.
However, looking at it from the perspective of a parent it feels a bit heavy-handed. The moral is obvious and is delivered in a very blunt way, there isn't any nuance behind it. Meanwhile the amount of text on each page is rather intimidating: there are more words per page than I think I've ever seen in a Julia Donaldson story, and my little one couldn't pay attention for longer than the first few pages.
I'm not sure whether The Smeds and the Smoos is going to be as joyfully embraced as some of Julia Donaldson's other stories, but I think this book might go a long way towards reassuring young ones who are starting to pick up on the tension which seems present in most adults in this day and age.
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.
However, looking at it from the perspective of a parent it feels a bit heavy-handed. The moral is obvious and is delivered in a very blunt way, there isn't any nuance behind it. Meanwhile the amount of text on each page is rather intimidating: there are more words per page than I think I've ever seen in a Julia Donaldson story, and my little one couldn't pay attention for longer than the first few pages.
I'm not sure whether The Smeds and the Smoos is going to be as joyfully embraced as some of Julia Donaldson's other stories, but I think this book might go a long way towards reassuring young ones who are starting to pick up on the tension which seems present in most adults in this day and age.
September 4, 2019
This book has been in our house for one evening and it’s already been the subject of numerous requests to “read that again, please” which is pretty much the highest praise a children’s book can get.
The story follows two aliens, a Smed named Janet and a Smoo called Bill. The Smeds and the Smoos are sworn enemies. Then one day Janet and Bill meet, and much to the disappointment of their families, they fall in love. The rest of the story involves a rocket ship elopement, the Smeds and the Smoos joining forces in a high speed chase across space, and ultimately everyone deciding that the other side aren’t too bad after all. (And, just in case any adults missed the subtle Brexit theme, the book is dedicated to the children of Europe!)
As always, Julia Donaldson’s rhyming text is perfect for reading out loud. There is also a smattering of made up words which are a lot of fun to say - Janet lives by a loobular lake while Bill hails from the humplety hill. They sneak away to the Wurpular Wood which is full of trockles, glompoms and even a jerberrycoot. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations are lovely - bright and interesting with plenty of detail for children to look at (including a Gruffalo or two for the eagle-eyed to spot!).
The story follows two aliens, a Smed named Janet and a Smoo called Bill. The Smeds and the Smoos are sworn enemies. Then one day Janet and Bill meet, and much to the disappointment of their families, they fall in love. The rest of the story involves a rocket ship elopement, the Smeds and the Smoos joining forces in a high speed chase across space, and ultimately everyone deciding that the other side aren’t too bad after all. (And, just in case any adults missed the subtle Brexit theme, the book is dedicated to the children of Europe!)
As always, Julia Donaldson’s rhyming text is perfect for reading out loud. There is also a smattering of made up words which are a lot of fun to say - Janet lives by a loobular lake while Bill hails from the humplety hill. They sneak away to the Wurpular Wood which is full of trockles, glompoms and even a jerberrycoot. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations are lovely - bright and interesting with plenty of detail for children to look at (including a Gruffalo or two for the eagle-eyed to spot!).
April 28, 2020
The newest rhyming picture book from Julia Donaldson, The Smeds and The Smoos follows two star-crossed aliens; Janet the Smed and Bill the Smoo. They are not supposed to become friends and are warned away from each other, but they eventually fall in love and disappear off in a rocket...
The alien/nonsense words (lobular and humplety) and rhymes within the book lend themselves to phonics; children can practice decoding, blending and identifying nonsense words within the text.
From friendship, teamwork and acceptance to identifying differences and wariness of others, the story deals with relevant and current topics in a subtle and age-appropriate way. The book itself is dedicated to ‘all the children of Europe’.
A quirky, age-appropriate spin on Romeo and Juliet, I would recommend this book for EYFS and KS1 although it could be enjoyed by all ages.
The alien/nonsense words (lobular and humplety) and rhymes within the book lend themselves to phonics; children can practice decoding, blending and identifying nonsense words within the text.
From friendship, teamwork and acceptance to identifying differences and wariness of others, the story deals with relevant and current topics in a subtle and age-appropriate way. The book itself is dedicated to ‘all the children of Europe’.
A quirky, age-appropriate spin on Romeo and Juliet, I would recommend this book for EYFS and KS1 although it could be enjoyed by all ages.
November 20, 2019
A story about accepting others despite their differences - a subtle political message in this book especially with the dedication to all the children in Europe. The Smeds and the Smoos don't like each other apart from Janet and Bill whose actions help to unite the two different groups. There's Donaldson's trademark rhymes, which are reminiscent of The Owl and the Pussy Cat (They danced in the light of the squoon) and The Jabberwocky. Lovely pictures as always by Axel Scheffler.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews