The Lost Words: A Spell Book by Robert Macfarlane, with breathtaking illustrations by Jackie Morris, is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed celebration of nature, language, and imagination. Created in response to the removal of many nature-related words—such as acorn, bluebell, otter, kingfisher, bramble, and wren—from a modern children's dictionary, the book seeks to "conjure back" these disappearing words through poetic acrostic spells and magnificent watercolor paintings. Rather than functioning as a conventional picture book, it is a work of art that reconnects readers of all ages with the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

Each featured word unfolds across richly illustrated double-page spreads: beginning with a visual puzzle of scattered letters, followed by an evocative acrostic poem, and concluding with a full-page painting of the plant or animal in its natural habitat. Morris's luminous watercolor and gold-leaf artwork perfectly complements Macfarlane's lyrical writing, creating a timeless volume that has inspired schools, conservation projects, exhibitions, musical performances, and environmental education initiatives. Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year (2018), The Lost Words has become a modern classic, praised for encouraging children and adults alike to rediscover nature through language, art, and observation.