The Lost Words

Starred review from October 8, 2018
A deeply reflective and gorgeously illustrated oversize volume lists natural words that were excluded from the most recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary, among them dandelion, heron, willow, and wren (replacement words in that text include broadband and blog). Nature and travel writer Macfarlane offers “a spellbook for conjuring back these lost words” and transforms each inclusion into a marvelous lyrical acrostic; Morris’s paintings of wildlife echo the complexity and vibrancy of Macfarlane’s poetry. For the word starling, the named bird, painted in detail, perches on a branch against a gold background, while the acrostic begins: “Should green-as-moss be mixed with/ blue-of-steel be mixed with gleam-of-gold/ you’d still fall short by far of the – / Tar-bright oil-slick sheen and/ gloss of starling wing.” The duo captures mystery and magic throughout, offering up “spells of many kinds that might just, by the old, strong magic of being spoken aloud... summon lost words back.” All ages.

October 1, 2018
An oversized album compiled in response to the recent omission by the Oxford Junior Dictionary of many natural-science words, including several common European bird, plant, and animal species, in favor of more current technological terms.In his introduction, Macfarlane laments this loss, announcing his intention to create "a spellbook for conjuring back these lost words." Each lost word is afforded three double-page spreads. First, the letters of each lost word are sprinkled randomly among other letters and an impressionistic sketch in a visual puzzle. This is followed by an acrostic poem or riddle describing essential qualities of the object, accompanied by a close-up view. A two-page spread depicting the object in context follows. Morris' strong, dynamic watercolors are a pleasure to look at, accurate in every detail, vibrant and full of life. The book is beautifully produced and executed, but anyone looking for definitions of the "lost words" will be disappointed. The acrostic poems are subjective, sophisticated impressions of the birds and animals depicted, redolent with alliteration and wordplay, perhaps more appropriate for creative writing prompts than for science exploration. This book is firmly rooted in the English countryside, celebrating such words as "conker," "bramble," and "starling" (invasive in North America), but many will cross over for North American readers. A free "Explorer's Guide" is available online.A sumptuous, nostalgic ode to a disappearing landscape. (Picture book/poetry. 10-adult)

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October 15, 2018
The decimation of nature is being echoed in a corresponding loss of language, causing further erosion of our valuing of the living world. After the Oxford Junior Dictionary dropped several dozen words pertaining to nature, best-selling British nature writer Macfarlane and celebrated illustrator Morris teamed up to reclaim 20 of those lost words. The result is a large, marvelously inviting and affirming book of delightfully vivid acrostic poems, or "spells," accompanied by awe-inspiring paintings. The spells?rhyming, alliterative, informative, and funny?summon the wonder of plants and animals, from acorn to newt, bluebell to otter, fern to kingfisher. Each spell is paired with an exquisite portrait of the threatened entity against a gold-leaf background, followed by two two-page spreads. The first depicts the creature or plant's place in nature in fluid, richly dimensional scenes full of surprises; in the second, as Morris explains, the word is spelled back into language, hearts, minds, and landscape. A sensation in England, this union of natural history, poetry, art, and whimsy is, indeed, a truly enchanting all-ages book of life to contemplate, read aloud, and share.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)