<b>Sumptuously illustrated</b>... the poems or nature summoning spells are indebted to Gerard Manley Hopkins with <b>rich alliteration</b>, word-play and compound adjectives [and] the illustrations make plants and creatures <b>luminous</b> against backgrounds of gold leaf
The Sunday Times
One of the most <b>striking and poignant</b> picture books of the season...this giant tome contains not only beautiful illustrations but <b>a haunting series of poems</b> that read like a summoning back of the wild...a book in which <b>every page seems like an act of love</b>
Herald
<b>Sumptuous</b>...a book combining <b>meticulous wordcraft with exquisite illustrations</b> deftly restores language describing the natural world to the children's lexicon... <b><i>The Lost Words</i> is a beautiful book and an important one</b>
The Observer
<b>A breathtaking book</b>... Jackie Morris has created <b>something that you could spend all day looking at</b>... This is the kind of complexity that can enthral a child as much as an adult...<b> Refreshingly accessible, slightly magical</b>
New Statesman
One of the <b>publishing sensations of recent times is <i>The Lost Words</i></b>
Daily Mail
My top book of the year... It is one of those children's books for ages up to 99 years. The lost words are those my generation and earlier ones used every day and which are fast disappearing, and Macfarlane's aim is to resurrect the everyday glories of our language. May he succeed
Susan Hill
Gilded and glorious, Jackie Morris's paintings illustrate Robert Macfarlane's acrostic poems in The Lost Words, one of the years loveliest books for all ages over 10
The Sunday Times
Rapturously received celebration of nature
The New Statesman
Macfarlane is a changemaker... he has made nature-writing populis6t and big-selling. Morris's paintings are beautiful - at once familiar and other. A contender for book of the year
The Big Issue
Stunning . . . Addressing the disappearance of everyday nature words and a ‘wild childhood’ from kids’ lives, <i>The Lost Words</i> celebrates the magic of the natural world in a superbly soft manner, much like an enchanting love letter to Mother Nature
Imagine5
Deeply reflective and gorgeously illustrated...Morris's paintings of wildlife echo the complexity and vibrancy of Macfarlane's poetry
Publisher's Weekly
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, <i>The Lost Words</i> stands against the loss of magic, celebrating the joy of wild childhood and wild places.
Penguin
Every page is enthralling.
New York Times Book Review
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