The Lost Words
Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris
£20.00
Mr B's review
In 2007, the Oxford Junior Dictionary controversially culled definitions for words like ‘acorn’, ‘chestnut’, and ‘kingfisher’, in favour of ‘cut and paste’, ‘chatroom’, and ‘attachment’. ‘The Lost Words’, a book both poetic and political, powerfully redresses the balance between the natural and the virtual. Macfarlane and Morris restore this vocabulary, elevate it with beautiful illustrations, and argue for the necessity of retaining the language with which we conjure up and connect with the natural world.
Description
A timeless, beautifully designed gift for children and adults alike, The Lost Words is a gift that will be poured over and cherished for years to come.
All over the country, there are words disappearing from children’s lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children’s minds.
The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration – in art and word – of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.
*** Discover The Lost Spells, the magical companion book from the creators of a literary phenomenon. ***
Praise for The Lost Words:
‘The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I’ve read this year’ Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer
‘Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have made a thing of astonishing beauty’ Alex Preston, Observer
‘My top book of the year’ Susan Hill, Spectator
‘Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language – and its scope’ Jeanette Winterson, Guardian
Publisher Review
Publisher’s description. An illustrated spell-book in watercolour and gold leaf, from the rich creative minds of award-winning author Robert Macfarlane and acclaimed artist Jackie Morris. As nature vanishes from children’s language and their imagination, The Lost Words stands against the loss of magic, celebrating the joy of wild childhood and wild places. * Penguin *
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