The Lost Spells
A smaller, spell-poem companion to The Lost Words, with intense nature language and Jackie Morris's luminous art. Best for slightly older children, shared poetry reading, nature study and families who want beauty over plot.
- Best for7–14
- FormatPoetry
- Length240 pp
- Read aloud~7 hr10 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Lyrical
- Literary
- Rhyming
Tone
- Thought provoking
- Inspirational
- Gentle
- Warm
Themes
- Nature and environment
- Cycle of life
- Creativity and imagination
- Discovery
- Science and curiosity
- Resilience
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The Lost Spells is a pocket-sized companion to The Lost Words, offering a new set of acrostic spell-poems and paintings that summon animals, birds, trees and wild presences back into attention. The format is smaller and more intimate than The Lost Words, but the purpose is similar: to make language, art and nature feel alive. Robert Macfarlane's poems are musical and demanding enough to reward repeated reading aloud, while Jackie Morris's artwork gives each creature a vivid, almost mythic presence. This is not a conventional storybook and will not suit every child as an independent read. It is strongest when shared slowly by an adult who enjoys poetry, or used alongside outdoor noticing, nature journalling or classroom environmental work. It is a high-quality follow-on rather than the first entry point.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–14
- Read aloud · 6–14
- Independent · 9–15
Prose load
Heavy
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Tougher fit
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Gift-buying
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
5 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Nature poetry
- Beautiful illustrations
- Read aloud spells
- Gift book
- Outdoor curiosity
Avoid if
- Wants story plot
- Reluctant reader needs easy hook
- Prefers funny books
- Needs low vocabulary load
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
- Interested in science
In the classroom
How it works in school.
More of Macfarlane's spell-poems for the natural world — a gorgeous collection to read aloud, perform and memorise, and a rich companion for nature and vocabulary.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the smaller scale — pocket-sized spell-poems and Jackie Morris paintings, new creatures summoned, the words demanding enough to want to be read aloud again. The Lost Words companion for the family already in love with the first.
- Secret world
- Animal companions
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The Lost Spells follow-on — pocket-size intimacy, acrostic spell-poems and luminous Morris art at the same quality as the parent volume. Not a conventional storybook; strongest shared slowly aloud or used alongside nature journalling. Companion rather than entry point.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Great writing
- Conversation starter
- Educational for adult too
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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