130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Happy Long Weekend! We're open all 3 days! 📚 Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

The Lost Words

Rediscover our natural world with this spellbinding book
4.49 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 6,544 ratings, 1,294 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Lost Words is a beautifully illustrated book aimed at rekindling the connection between children and nature. Through vibrant imagery and enchanting lyrical poetry, it brings to life various natural elements that have begun to vanish from many children's vocabulary. The book serves as both a celebration and reminder of the magic present in the world around us.
Read More
Format: Hardback
Save 20% Off
Savings are calculated from our regular price of $55.00 compared to the current price of $44.00.
$4400
Usually:
$5500
On Sale
in Birthday Sale 2026 until 1 Nov or while stocks last
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you love nature and the magic of words. A beautifully illustrated celebration of the natural world, it captures the wonder of flora and fauna, making it a delightful choice for both children and adults who appreciate poetry and art.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From Acorn to Weasel—a gorgeous, hand-illustrated, large-format spellbook celebrating the magic and wonder of the natural world.

All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. Words like Dandelion, Otter, Bramble, Acorn, and Lark represent the natural world of childhood, a rich landscape of discovery and imagination that is fading from children's minds.

The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of the poetry of nature words and the living glory of our distinctive, British countryside. With acrostic spell-poems by peerless wordsmith Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Lost Words is praised for its sumptuous illustrations and meticulous wordcraft, combining Robert Macfarlane's acrostic poetry with Jackie Morris's enchanting paintings. The book is celebrated as a poignant and striking celebration of nature, with each page resembling an act of love towards the wild. It serves as both a beautiful artistic achievement and an important effort to reintroduce lost nature words into children's vocabulary.

Book Hero reading reviews

About the Author

Robert Macfarlane (Author) Robert Macfarlane is internationally renowned for his writing on nature, people and place. His bestselling books include Underland, Landmarks, The Old Ways, The Wild Places and Mountains of the Mind, as well as a book-length prose-poem, Ness. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, won prizes around the world, and been widely adapted for film, music, theatre, radio and dance. He has also written operas, plays, and films including River and Mountain, both narrated by Willem Dafoe. He has collaborated closely with artists including Olafur Eliasson and Stanley Donwood, and with the artist Jackie Morris he co-created the internationally bestselling books of nature-poetry and art, The Lost Words and The Lost Spells. As a lyricist and performer, he has written albums and songs with musicians including Cosmo Sheldrake, Karine Polwart and Johnny Flynn, with whom he has released two albums, Lost In The Cedar Wood (2021) and The Moon Also Rises (2023). In 2017, the American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded him the E.M. Forster Prize for Literature, and in 2022 in Toronto he was the inaugural winner of the Weston International Award for a body of work in the field of non-fiction. He is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and is currently completing his third book with Jackie Morris- The Lost Birds. Jackie Morris (Author) Jackie Morris is the bestselling and award-winning co-creator of The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, two books which have captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands of readers of all ages. She also illustrated and introduced a new edition of Barbara Newhall Follett's lost classic of wild literature, The House Without Windows. As an author, Jackie Morris has produced over forty beloved children's books; as an artist she has also worked with the New Statesman, Independent and Guardian, among others. She won the Kate Greenaway Medal and the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year for The Lost Words in 2018. Jackie lives in a cottage on the cliffs of Pembrokeshire, where she is now working on her forthcoming third book with long-time collaborator, Robert Macfarlane- The Book of Birds.

Also by Jackie Morris

View all
  • Mrs Noah's Song
    Mrs Noah's Song is a beautiful new picture book in the bestselling Mrs Noah series, where Mrs Noah brings song back into the world and shows the children how to listen – and sing. Mrs Noah sang to the children when they woke in the morning. She sang as she worked in the garden, growing flowers and growing food. She...
    Hardback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Lost Spells
    The unmissable sequel to the bestselling, award-winning, multi-adaptation hit The Lost Words. Kindred in spirit to The Lost Words but new in form, The Lost Spells is a pocket-sized treasure, a new collection of spells—acrostic poetry and artwork—by beloved creative duo Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. Written to be read aloud, calling to forest, field, riverbank, ocean, and also to...
    Hardback
    $4000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The White Fox
    A beautiful and evocative tale of belonging, family and identity, woven in the gorgeous artwork and storytelling of award-winning author and illustrator Jackie Morris. The day the fox came, things began to change for Sol. Lost, alone and far away from home, Sol feels a deep connection with the little Arctic fox he discovers down at the Seattle docks—he too...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • One Cheetah, One Cherry
    One cherry, one cheetahTwo dogs, two balls, one big, one smallThree bears, three bowls, three silver spoonsThis stunning counting book, illustrating numbers 1 to 10 in beautiful animal paintings, is now presented as a very special board book, embellished with gold leaf as in the original hardback edition, bringing this gorgeous book to a younger readership.With playful words and stunning...
    Board book
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Book of Birds
    From the creators of the internationally bestselling, award-winning, multi-adapted phenomenon The Lost Words- a dazzling celebration of birdlife in Britain, re-imagining the classic field guide for a new generation of nature lovers A great thinning of the skies is underway. Around 50% of bird species are in decline worldwide. Our dawns and springs are quieter each year than the last....
    Hardback
    $10500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Wild Cards
    A 100-postcard compilation of gorgeous hand-painted artwork from the bestselling and genre-busting phenomena The Lost Words and The Lost Spells. In 2017, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris broke the mould with The Lost Words, a book of paintings in watercolour and gold leaf accompanied by acrostic spell-poems. This work captured the unique essence of common but underappreciated species like Otter,...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • I am Cat
    I am Cat is a beautiful, large-format gift edition of Jackie Morris’s classic cat picture book. “I am Cat. At night I prowl, but in the day I sleep, curled in warm places. And when I sleep, I dream …” Cat’s dreams lead into the lives of other cats in far-off and wild places, such as a tiger in the...
    Hardback
    $4799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Summer Puppy
    Lyrical story about a puppy's first summer, with beautiful illustrations, from a bestselling, award-winning duo Born at the very start of the summer, so small she could rest easily in the cupped hands of a child … From a little furry bundle, Rosie the puppy grows, learns, and explores her world - rose petals, spiders and butterflies in the garden,...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Something About A Bear
    A beautiful large-format gift edition of Jackie Morris’s stunning and evocative celebration of bears. Let me tell you something, something about a bear... Here are eight majestic wild bears, brought to life in breathtaking watercolour paintings. Brown Bear, Black Bear, Polar Bear, Sloth Bear, Spectacled Bear, Sun Bear, Moon Bear. All are gloriously depicted, with lyrical descriptions of their lives...
    Hardback
    $4799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Wild Lullaby
    A mother sings to her child, describing the ways wild creatures across the world lull their babies to sleep: whales in the sea, fledgling ospreys in their nest, bear cubs in their ice den, seals on the shore, ponies on the heath, the snow leopard family in the high rocks, and tigers in the deepest jungle. The lyrical story of...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • The Jackie Morris Book of Classic Nursery Rhymes
    From the acclaimed illustrator of The Lost Words, a personal selection of over 40 traditional nursery rhymes, superbly illustrated in watercolour A wonderfully illustrated and sumptuous collection of nursery rhymes for all ages, including many favourite rhymes as well as some that will be a delightful discovery. Originally published as The Cat and the Fiddle in 2011, this edition includes...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • East of the Sun, West of the Moon
    Age range 11 to 14 From the moment she saw him, the girl knew the bear had come for her. How many times had she dreamed of him? Now, here he was, as if spelled from her dreams. This encounter marks the beginning of a long and extraordinary journey. At the bear's secret palace in faraway mountains, she is treated...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

Also by Robert Macfarlane

View all
  • The Old Ways
    Immerse yourself in the lyrical and evocative world of The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane, a Top Ten bestselling book renowned for its poetic exploration of Britain's landscapes and heritage. Through this captivating work, Macfarlane takes readers on a mesmerising journey along the ancient paths, holloways, drove-roads, and sea paths that form a vast network criss-crossing the British Isles. As...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Underland
    Underland by Robert Macfarlane is a captivating and profound exploration of the subterranean world that lies beneath our feet. This Sunday Times bestselling masterpiece takes readers on an unforgettable journey, delving deep into the hidden realms of the earth – from the intricate mycelial networks through which trees communicate, to the icy blue depths of glacial moulins. This mesmerising voyage...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Is a River Alive?
    From the celebrated writer and observer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book - which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title At its heart is a single, transformative idea- that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings - who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Inspired by...
    Hardback
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Gifts of Reading
    An autobiographical essay on the importance of giving and receiving books - from the bestselling author of Landmarks and The Old Ways. Every book is a kind of gift to its reader, and the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance. It is a meeting of three minds (the giver, the author, the recipient), an exchange...
    Paperback
    $899
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Lost Spells
    The unmissable sequel to the bestselling, award-winning, multi-adaptation hit The Lost Words. Kindred in spirit to The Lost Words but new in form, The Lost Spells is a pocket-sized treasure, a new collection of spells—acrostic poetry and artwork—by beloved creative duo Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. Written to be read aloud, calling to forest, field, riverbank, ocean, and also to...
    Hardback
    $4000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Landmarks
    Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane is a captivating exploration of the intricate relationship between language and the natural world. This extraordinary book weaves together the words and landscapes of Britain, revealing how language shapes not only our identity but also our perception and appreciation of the environment. Join Macfarlane on a mesmerising journey across the diverse terrains of Cumbria, the Cairngorms,...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Wild Places
    Are there any genuinely wild places left in Britain and Ireland? Or have we tarmacked, farmed and built ourselves out of wildness? In his vital, bewitching, inspiring classic, Robert Macfarlane sets out in search of the wildness that remains. The Wild Places takes readers on a journey to discover the natural landscapes still untouched by human civilisation, exploring how such...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The World to Come - World to Come – A Times Book of the Year 2024
    On my way through the wood wound a thread through the dream... Take a lyrical journey through nature with this sumptuous blend of words and pictures that showcase a poet and illustrator at the heights of their craft. Follow a father and son as they walk together through every season - hailing owl and otter, blackbird and silver birch -...
    Hardback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Coming Into The Country
    In this astutely observed travel account, Pulitzer Prize-winner John McPhee plunges into the wild frontiers and frigid climate of Alaska, exploring the varied regions and people of this Northern US state. Travelling by foot and canoe, McPhee moves from urban landscape to the remote Alaskan bush, drawing a rich and comprehensive history of a vast land and its inhabitants. With...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Usually:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Night Creatures: Firefly
    From two of the UK's best-known book makers, Robert Macfarlane and Luke Adam Hawker, comes a stunning picture book to ignite wonder in readers everywhere. In the darkness of December, Through the winter's deepest snowing, When the world is steep in camber, And all hope is downwards-flowing - Then's the time to seek what's glowing... Written in lyrical verse, this...
    Hardback
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Is a River Alive?
    From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book— which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title. At its heart is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings—who should be recognised as such in both imagination and law. Is a River Alive? takes the reader on...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Mountains Of The Mind
    WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD Once, we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment, we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride. In this ground-breaking, classic work, Robert Macfarlane takes us up into the mountains: to experience their shattering beauty, the fear and risk...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Children's Books

View all
  • New Release
    Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (21)
    When the going gets tough, what’s a wimpy kid to do? In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg’s got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he’s facing an uphill...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    Gruffalo Granny
    The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...
    Hardback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    The Sixth Faction
    Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives. She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind. But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Detective Beans Colouring Club
    New Release
    Detective Beans Colouring Club
    Help Detective Beans solve the case of the missing colours! Join the Colouring Club now! Join the Detective Beans Colouring Club! Inside you'll find 40 removable colouring pages featuring scenes from all over Cat Town. Filled with all the characters you know and love from the Detective Beans graphic novels like Biscuits, Beans' mum, Mr Brickle, Bear, Detective Baby Bird...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1799
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Wahine
    New Release
    Wahine
    From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas
    From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! But this time... it's not about Lottie! From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! And it's CHRISTMAS! In The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks we spent the holiday season with...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Matihe! Achoo! Matihe! Achoo!
    On Sale
    21% off
    New Release
    Matihe! Achoo!
    What happens when a grumpy tupua has to sneeze? Matihe! Achoo! is a bilingual story about the tupua Mataoho and his connection to the volcanoes of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. It comes with an action song to engage young readers! He pūrākau e pā ana ki a Mataoho me ngā puia o Takamaki Makaurau. He tupua pukukino a Mataoho e noho...
    Paperback
    $1500
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Sweet As Looky Book
    Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...
    Hardback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pocket Observology
    New Release
    Pocket Observology
    Pocket Observology is a practical field guide designed for those who love to explore and understand the natural world around them. Slip this guide out of your pocket to identify, measure, compare, or find clues to the things you encounter every day in nature. This pocket guide is a useful tool and a fun reminder of how to engage with...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    The Day of the Dinosaur Disaster
    Angry anacondas, blizzarding blobs, carnivorous cactuses ... what kind of twisted curse will Glam-Evil think up this time?!Only it's not just Glam-Evil's curse the gang needs to worry about; they've got a few other problems, too. Swooping Pteranodons, a hungry T-Rex, a missing mother, and ... is that ... an ASTEROID?!Join MILES AND JONES as they face their biggest challenge...
    Paperback
    $1400
    Elsewhere:
    $1499
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    15% off
    New Release
    The Neverfear
    A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    Mari the Unwonderful Witch
    A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.