The Smeds and the Smoos

by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

Overview

An out-of-this-world story of friendship from the creators of Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo.

The Smeds (who are red) never mix with the Smoos (who are blue), so when Janet and Bill, a young Smed and Smoo, fall in love, their families strongly disapprove. But love conquers all and, in the happiest of happy endings, Janet and Bill not only bring their warring blue and red families together — they also celebrate the arrival of their beautiful purple baby!From the bestselling creators of Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo, this out-of-this-world story of friendship and family is a timely celebration of embracing our differences and finding common ground.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338669763
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	131,088
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Julia Donaldson served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has written many bestselling and beloved children's books, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She lives in West Sussex in the south of the UK.
Axel Scheffler's award-winning books include Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo. His illustrations have been published in more than 30 countries. He lives in London, England.

Editorial Reviews

10/19/2020

Longtime collaborators Donaldson and Scheffler (The Gruffalo) convey this story of star-crossed lovers with their customary vim. “By a loobular lake on a far-off planet” lives Janet, a Smed with red skin, green hair, and a long snout; and Bill, a Smoo with polka-dotted blue skin, orange horns, and spotted green slippers. Forbidden by their grandparents to pair up (“Never, never marry a Smoo..../ They drink black tea!/ They eat green stew!”), the two eventually elope. As their families travel the galaxy together in hot pursuit, they discover just how diverse worlds can be, and gradually let their guard down with each other. Back home, another discovery awaits: Janet and Bill are new parents of “A red one? A blue one? But no—/That baby was purple, from head to toe!” The Sneetches-esque story bogs down a bit under its Seussian vocabulary (“Janet met Bill in the Wurpular Wood,/ Where the trockles grew tall/ and the glompoms smelled good”). But the timely message of inclusivity is proffered unmistakably, and with a panoply of adorable creatures to boot. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for A Gold Star for Zog:A New York Times Notable Book"Donaldson, the current children's laureate in Britain, is a master of witty comic rhyme and original stories with heart. Here she and Scheffler outdo themselves with the smart, funny — dare I say, deep? — story of a dragon in training, a princess who wants to be a doctor and a knight who could use a bit of rescuing. The book gets a gold star too." — New York Times Book Review"While Scheffler's characters are straight out of fantasy, they exude a sweet, down-to-earth quality that makes them instantly sympathetic. Readers will get a kick out of the genial self-awareness in his cartooning — on almost every spread, a character glances at the audience as if to say, 'Can you believe this?'" — Publishers Weekly"A delightful new twist on happily-ever-after." — School Library JournalPraise for Superworm:"A word lover's delight in rousing, rhyming verse." — New York Times Book Review* "The unlikely superhero with his googly eyes and winning smile will be a hit, and the rhythmic rhyme will have audiences chanting along by the end of the story... Silly and slimy — superfun!" — Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewPraise for Stick Man:* "Donaldson's rhymes never skip a beat, and Scheffler personalizes the many animals, people and settings in his witty watercolors. This yarn could become a December perennial." — Publishers Weekly, starred review* "Scheffler's engaging illustrations, Donaldson's irresistible rhyming text and repeated refrains make this a winning read-aloud that will stick around long after the holiday season." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

2020-09-29
Two youngsters from mutually hostile groups connect.

This tale of prejudiced extraterrestrials jumps immediately into rollicking verse. “By a loobular lake on a far-off planet / There lived a young Smed, / and her name was Janet. / Not far away, on a humplety hill, / There lived a young Smoo / by the name of Bill.” The patter and nonsense words (wurpular, trockle) invoke Dr. Seuss. Smeds and Smoos alike have antennae and tubular noses, but Smeds, red, have webbed feet they wear bare while Smoos, blue, sport elflike boots. The illustrations’ eye-catching colors are intensely saturated throughout, sometimes jarringly so. Despite parallel contemptuous commands to “Never, never play with” the other group, Janet and Bill secretly bond and grow up to marry. “Janet and Bill stole out that night / While their families slept / and the squoon shone bright. / They clambered into the Smeds’ red rocket. / (Grandfather Sned had forgotten to lock it.) / Bill pressed the button, and Janet steered… // …When their families woke, they had both disappeared!” A multiplanet search leads to reconciliation and integration. This unsubtle metaphor for fixing racism and xenophobia ignores real-world power imbalances: The Smeds and Smoos may distrust one another, but they share equal status. Moreover, the notion that interracial couples and mixed-race offspring—a purple Smed/Smoo baby—are a solution for racism is false and places an unfair burden on mixed-race readers.

Rip-roaring verse but painfully simplistic messaging. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews