Staff Pick
The oldest and most powerful spells are written into nature. As humans become more removed from the natural world, this deep magic becomes lost. The Lost Spells is a lyrical reclamation of the magical language of flora and fauna. A beautifully illustrated collection of poems inspired by the mysterious wonders of the wild, this book completely stunned me with its elegance. Recommended By Ariel K., Powells.com
The calmness of nature poetry combined with beautiful watercolor artistry makes for a delightful combination. I find myself staring at the few sample copies provided, and yearning for more. I'm bookmarking this title as my go-to gift for all my fellow nature lovers. Recommended By Corie K-B., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The follow-up to the internationally bestselling sensation The Lost Words, The Lost Spells is a beautiful collection of poems and illustrations that evokes the magic of the everyday natural world.
Since its publication in 2017, The Lost Words has enchanted readers with its poetry and illustrations of the natural world. Now, The Lost Spells, a book kindred in spirit and tone, continues to re-wild the lives of children and adults.
The Lost Spells
evokes the wonder of everyday nature, conjuring up red foxes, birch
trees, jackdaws, and more in poems and illustrations that flow between
the pages and into readers' minds. Robert MacFarlane's spell-poems and
Jackie Morris's watercolour illustrations are musical and magical: these
are summoning spells, words of recollection, charms of protection.
To
read The Lost Spells is to see anew the natural world within our grasp and to be reminded of what happens when we allow it to slip away.
Review
"Art, verse, and nature are combined with entertaining elegance....[The Lost Spells] allows words
and watercolour to shine and results in a work that can be left open at
any page to stunning effect." Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)
Review
"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." Booklist
Review
"A sumptuous, nostalgic ode to a disappearing landscape." Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Robert MacFarlane is a
Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and the author of a number of
bestselling and prize-winning books, including The Wild Places, The Old Ways, Holloway, Landmarks, and Underland,
which won the Wainwright Prize. His work has been translated into many
languages and widely adapted for film, television, and radio. The
American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded him the E. M. Forster Award
for Literature in 2017. He is a word-collector and mountain-climber — and he has three children who have taught him more about the world than
any book.
Jackie Morris grew up in the
Vale of Evesham and studied at Hereford College of Arts and at Bath
Academy. She won the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, the highest honour in
children's book illustration, for The Lost Words. She has illustrated for the New Statesman, the Independent, and the Guardian, collaborated with Ted Hughes, and has written and illustrated over forty books, including beloved classics such as The Snow Leopard, The Ice Bear, Song of the Golden Hare, Tell Me a Dragon, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and The Wild Swans. Jackie Morris lives in a cottage on the cliffs of Pembrokeshire.