Aurora, 61497, Janet, The Smed and the Smoos, Eco-friendly soft toy, Red

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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. Make up a new story about two people, animals or aliens who want to be friends but are not allowed. 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.

Make a list of all the rhyming words in the book. Can you think of other words that rhyme with those? 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. Tall Stories know a thing or two about adapting Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s books for the stage. This is their fourth one and there is a gentleness about their production – and a lovely sense of enfolding the young audience into the action – that does Donaldson’s mesmerising works great justice. The dramaturgy isn’t perfect (too much filler!) but this is my son Benji’s first visit to a proper theatre and, other than a few lapses in concentration, he has a wonderful time. Make a list of the ways that the Smeds and the Smoos are similar / different. Is being different from others a bad thing? Can the Smeds and the Smoos learn to get along? (Image credit: BBC) The Smeds and The Smoos voice cast on their roles

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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. The Smeds And The Smoos is being directed by Daniel Snaddon (The Snail And The Whale; Zog) and Samantha Cutler, from a script by Julia Smuts Louw. Producers are Barney Goodland and Martin Pope. The composer is René Aubry, who has written the music for the collection of Magic Light films from Donaldson & Scheffler books. Animation services are being provided by Blue Zoo Animation Studio.

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. There are lots of made-up words in this book. Can you make a glossary to explain what they all mean? Could you make up some of your own words and write definitions? 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.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.

Look at the other plants and creatures in the illustrations and think about how they might be adapted to living on the alien planet. It’s a massive honour for The Smeds and The Smoos to be recognised with an iEmmy,” says Julia. “The message of The Smeds and the Smoos is as timely today as it has always been: life too precious to spend it fighting over our differences. Kids’ movies (and books) are such an indispensable vehicle for cementing these crucial messages in the formative years. I’m so grateful to Magic Light for the chance and particularly to Julia Donaldson for trusting me with her words.”The film has been acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer and Nawfal Faizullah, BBC Drama Commissioning Executive. Magic Light has been providing festive family treats to BBC One for over a decade, and their films, based on the books by the award-winning duo, are among the most popular family titles on BBC iPlayer.

Write a sequel to this book? What might happen to the Smeds and the Smoos (and their new baby) next? 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. Design your own alien and create a character profile for it. Where does it live? Does it have any special abilities? The Smeds And The Smoos. Image Credit: J.Donaldson/ A.Sheffler. Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.The film will be the 10th TV adaptation by Magic Light Pictures of a Donaldson/Scheffler title for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The films have become firm fixtures in the Christmas schedules.Last year Superworm, which aired on BBC One on Christmas Day and starred Olivia Colman and Matt Smith, was the third most watched programme with eight million viewers (30-day all-screen figures). 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.