Words to Love a Planet

Words to Love a Planet is a beautifully illustrated compendium of rare and untranslatable words from around the world that reconnect us to nature, time, and place, inspiring wonder and care for the Earth.

This is a culturally rich dictionary of words from more than 80 languages, offering fresh ways to consider how we live, how we love, and how we relate to the land beneath our feet.

From New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Ella Frances Sanders, this heartfelt collection celebrates the poetry of language and the quiet power of noticing. Motivated by a deep care for both words and the world, Sanders invites readers to reimagine their relationship with the planet through a lens of linguistic wonder and environmental reverence.

Across 7 lyrical themes – ranging from Seasons and Land to Time and Water – more than 200 rare and untranslatable words illuminate the textures of landscape, feeling, weather, and thought. Each entry includes a pronunciation guide, thoughtful definition, and etymological or cultural context, gently guiding the reader toward a more attentive, grounded way of living.

Whether you’re new to environmental thinking or long aware that we lack the words for much of what we feel in the face of ecological change, Words to Love a Planet is a soft and evocative place to land – a dictionary not just of definitions, but of hope, memory, and connection.