The Smeds and the Smoos

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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.

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A magical blend of catchy songs, adept storytelling and audience participation that youngsters lap up.” East Midlands TheatreJulia 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. 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 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. 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 Smeds and the Smoos | BookTrust

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. 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. Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

Hobbies

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.