An Explorer’s Guide to

S P R I N G E D I T I O N

Content s JACKDAW 5

GOLDFINCH 11

OAK 14

THRIFT 18

SWALLOW 21

About the book

azzlingly beautiful and wonderfully inventive, discover the magical new book from the creators of bestselling, critically acclaimed literary phenomenon

The Lost Words . . .

Kindred in spirit to The Lost Words but fresh in its form, The Lost Spells is a pocket-sized treasure that introduces a beautiful new set of natural spell-poems and artwork by beloved creative duo Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

As in The Lost Words, these ‘spells’ take their subjects from relatively commonplace, and yet underappreciated, animals, birds, trees and flowers – from Barn Owl to Red Fox, Grey Seal to Silver Birch, Jay to Jackdaw. But they break out of the triptych format of The Lost Words, f inding new shapes, new spaces and new voices with which to conjure.

Written to be read aloud, painted in brushstrokes that call to the forest, f ield, riverbank and also to the heart, The Lost Spells summons back what is often lost from sight and care, and inspires protection and action on behalf of the natural world. Above all, it celebrates a sense of wonder, bearing witness to nature’s power to amaze, console and bring joy.

D

About The Explorer’s Guide

his Guide is for celebrating the magic of nature and the magic of language. It is for teachers, l ibrarians and children who want to experience the sights and

sounds of spring. It is for anyone with an interest in the natural world who wants to explore The Lost Spells.

This Guide is for use in classrooms, at home or in an outdoor space of your choosing. The various activities and challenges included can be dipped in and out of or used consecutively as a cross-curricular scheme of work.

There are limitless opportunities for learning across all subjects – from researching, writing and storytelling, to science and conservation projects. New resources will be

added with each new season, and we hope you enjoy them.

Thank youThe Hamish Hamilton Team

The Lost Spell’s Explorer’s Guide has been written by Eva John.

5

Jackdaw 1

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

How do the birds in this illustration make you feel?

Why do you think they are gathered together?

How many are pictured?

What ideas could this suggest for a story – perhaps a fairy tale or fable?

W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Working collaboratively, conjure up a number rhyme. Collect together useful ideas and observations, such as the collective nouns used for jackdaws and the significance of the scientific name Corvus monedula – in Latin corvus means ‘raven’ and monedula means ‘money-eating’.

One jackd aw

Two jackd aws

S e ven jackd aws gather together.

jack

daw

6

Jackdaw 2

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What is the style of this spell?

What do you notice about the rhythm? Try counting the syllables and then clapping on the main beats as you speak it aloud.

What do you notice about the rhyme scheme?

To which senses does the poem appeal and how does Robert Macfarlane do this?

What do you notice about a number of the first words in the lines of this stanza?

Which two words contrast with the noise of the birds and what do you notice about them?

What simile is used and why is it effective?

What is meant by ‘jaw-jaw’? Can you think of other paired words to do with communicating?

Why do you think the jackdaws are ‘circling the back door’? What might this indicate about the character of the birds?

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K , P E R F O R M

Create a thought shower of words that could be used to indicate harsh sounds, possibly looking through a thesaurus to help you widen your choice of words.

Play around with the words, saying them aloud and listening for rhythm, rhyme, half-rhyme, assonance, consonance, alliteration and onomatopoeia. Arrange the words so that you can perform a sound poem.

Jackdaw 3

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• comeb ack• c racker jack• w isec rack• backchat

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K , C R E AT E

What further impressions do you gain of the jackdaws’ character from this stanza? Working with a partner, create speech bubbles for the jackdaws to show off their wisecracking backchat. If the ideas are flowing, you could extend this into a comic strip.

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daw

7

Jackdaw 4

W O N D E R W O R D S

What does ‘troubadour’ mean?

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What do you notice about the rhyme scheme in this stanza? How does Robert Macfarlane create a sense of these birds over the ages?

R E S E A R C H C H A L L E N G E

Find out about jackdaws in folklore and fable, then create your own retelling in song, film, drama, poetry or narrative. The word ‘nevermore’ makes reference to an unsettling narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe called ‘The Raven’. Ravens are also members of the corvid family. Read ‘The Raven’ and then see what you think jackdaws have in common with ravens. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven

Jackdaw 5

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• bi vouac• steeplejack• sni cker-snack Why do you think Robert Macfarlane calls the jackdaw ‘King of the chimney stack’?

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Imagine what it must be like to be a bird living in belfry.

What might happen when the bells ring? Be observant in your local area and note down what birds you see on roofs or high buildings.

jack

daw

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Jackdaw 6

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• g imc rack• g i v ing it the g uff aw

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What is the link between crow, rook, raven and jackdaw?

What does ‘fighting the class war’ mean, both generally and in the context of this spell?

Do you think there should be different ‘classes’ of people? Give reasons for your viewpoint.

R E S E A R C H A N D C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E

Find images of each bird and spot the differences.

Undertake further research and watch films of these birds.

Compile a fact file for each bird to help people differentiate between them.

Create life-size silhouettes of these birds, aiming to be as accurate as possible.

W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Plan and write your own story of a jackdaw stealing an object. Does it have a happy outcome?

Jackdaw 7W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• fossi ck• bushw hack

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Work out the rhyme scheme of this stanza.

What is different between the pace of the first two lines and those that follow?

Identify the different poetic techniques used by Robert Macfarlane in this stanza.

What do you think this conveys about the nature of jackdaws?

jack

daw

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Jackdaw 8

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• beatbox• r iprap• r ipcordWhat is special about the vocabulary chosen in this stanza?

W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Collect a hoard of compound words in the poem and add more of your own to these: for example, skyline, moonshine, makeshift, dropdown, uplift.

Now create an additional stanza.

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What effect does the last line have?

What is the overall impression you have now gained of jackdaws from this spell?

Jackdaw 9

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What sort of building do you think this is? What do you think happens inside?

jack

daw

10

C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E S

Either:

Design a menu for jackdaws with brief culinary descriptions, bearing in mind that they enjoy invertebrates, fruit, seeds, carrion, eggs and nestlings.

You might want to look online at some sample restaurant menus.

Or:

Compose an advert for a ‘des res’ for jackdaws, choosing from one or more of the following options:

Loc ati on: • wood l and• parkl and• coa st• urba n resi dence• tree hole• cl i ff• bui ld ing• chimne y

Further Reading

S H O R T S T O R Y

‘The Vain Jackdaw’, Aesop’s Fableshttp://www.taleswithmorals.com/the-vain-jackdaw.htm

P O E T R Y

‘The Jackdaw of Rheims’ by Richard Harris Barham

‘The Jackdaw’ by William Cowper

N O N-F I C T I O N

‘Bird of the Month: Jackdaw’ by John Mcewen, The Oldie, 1 March 2019https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-oldie/20190301/281809990085627

jack

daw

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gold

finc

h Goldfinch 1

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What are the features of this bird that you find most striking?

What time of year do you think it is in this illustration?

Goldfinch 2

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Why do you think Jackie Morris chose to illustrate the text of the spell with a single feather?

Become a poem detective and find different types of patterns employing Michael Rosen’s ‘secret strings’ approach: use coloured pencils to pick out and link the different techniques, such as alliteration, rhyme, assonance, consonance, negative words, repetition and words linked in meaning.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M39LCHSHNDwhttp://www.mybookcorner.co.uk/michael-rosens-ten-great-ways-to-delve-into-poetry/

‘Charm’ is the collective noun for goldfinches. Find out other definitions of the word and consider why Robert Macfarlane chose to repeat it.

How do you think he feels about the world?

What message do you take from the poem?

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W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

What do you think of the world right now?

What are your fears and hopes? Jot these down.

Think of small things, easily overlooked perhaps, that enrich your day and make a list of them. Write a line or two for each of them, detailing why they are important.

Create a spell which invokes these things by playing around with word and line order and thinking of poetic techniques that might enhance your work, such as rhythm, alliteration, metaphor and simile.

Try reading it aloud to see if it sounds right. You could think of using the title ‘Little Gifts of Light’.

R E S E A R C H A N D W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

When developing his theory of evolution, Charles Darwin found that the finches he came across in the Galapagos Islands helped him with his ideas. The following videos will give you more information.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s64Y8sVYfFYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l25MBq8T77w

Find out about the different finches in your country and display their pictures on the wall.https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/02/british-finches/https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/finch-family/

Choose one finch and write a detailed description of it. See if other people can identify the right bird from your description.

You may want to use terms such as:

• bi l l• c row n• c ap• forehead• w ing b ars• ta i l

• brea st• back• bib• r ump• bel l y• ma sk

gold

finc

h

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Goldfinch 3

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K , W R I T E

Why do you think Jackie Morris decided to paint a charm of goldfinches in the final illustration?

Read about goldfinches and watch films to gather together ideas.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCZhSaox5pEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-XXyfNHNtY

Create your own acrostic for this, the capital letters of which you can illuminate with gold pen:

CHARM

Further ReadingP O E T R Y

‘I stood tip-toe upon a little hill’ by John Keats

gold

finc

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14

oak Oak 1

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

How old do you think this tree might be?

What season is depicted in the illustration?

Why do you think Jackie Morris chose to paint a stag next to the tree?

Oak 2

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• sta g-headed• f ire-str uck

You can find out more about ‘stag-headed’ trees at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/stag-headed-trees

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

The oak is known as the ‘king’ of the trees. Why do you think that is?

Why do you think the oak is ‘bare-crowned’?

Why do you think Robert Macfarlane describes the tree as ‘stubborn’?

Think of other adjectives that you might use for this particular quality, looking through a thesaurus to widen your choice of words.

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Why do you think the poplar is called ‘the whispering tree’, the rowan‘the sheltering tree’ and the ‘willow the weeping tree’?

Why do you think the oak is then described as ‘the waiting tree’?

Use the glossary to identify which birds and trees are depicted in this illustration.

R E S E A R C H A N D C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E S

Either:

Find out about some of the threats to oak trees, such as the processionary moth. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/search/?q=oak&p=1https://www.observatree.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/15_0044_-One-off-literature-Observatree-Pest-Disease-Field-Guides-OPM_wip14-3.pdf

Or:

Create an infographic or information leaflet instructing people what to do if they discover oak decline.

Oak 3

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Why do you think the birch is called ‘the watching tree’, the cherry ‘the giving tree’ and the ash ‘the burning tree’?

R E S E A R C H C H A L L E N G E

Starting at any point in history, create a timeline to chart the main events in history that have occurred during the life of an oak tree.

S H O R T-B U R S T W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Working with Robert Macfarlane’s words, show what you think about the attitudes of modern man. You could write two stanzas with contrasting viewpoints:

Modern man hears w ith modern earsS ees w ith modern e yes; the , the

oak

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Oak 4

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What is the message within the first four lines?

How has Robert Macfarlane structured the poem?

What is the purpose of giving names to the different trees?

What is the purpose of the refrain?

R E S E A R C H C H A L L E N G E

Using the ‘Research Challenge – Trees’ card from page 31 of the Autumn Edition of the Explorer’s Guide, decide which trees you are going to investigate in more detail and complete the data files.

W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Either:

Forest Fables or Tree Tales

Popl a r – the whispering tree R ow an – the sheltering tree

Wi l low – the weeping tree Oa k – the waiting tree

Birch – the watching tree Cherr y – the giving tree

Ash – the burning tree Hol l y – the witching tree

B eech – the writing tree Elder – the quickening tree

Choose one or more of the trees you have researched and create a fable for it.

Think about other characters you could introduce and map out a dilemma and solution.

You could combine your work to create an anthology of fables, A Wood-wide Web of Words.

Or:

With the knowledge you have gained about certain trees and their properties, create a poem for each type of tree. Join everyone’s poems together with a refrain, such as:

Ma ny yea rs to g row,Ma ny yea rs to thri ve,If qui ck to d i e,How w i l l humans sur v i ve?

oak

(Celtic name = wizard’s tree)

17

Oak 5S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What differences do you notice between the first and last illustrations in the ‘Oak’ series?

Why is the bird in the last one associated with the oak?

If you know of a hollow oak, what sort of den would you create?

Who would be allowed in? How would you ensure the tree is cared for?

C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E

Lie on your back, having checked the ground carefully first, and take photos up the trunk of a tree, showing the leaf canopy, budding leaves or bare twigs, depending on the season.

Take close-ups of different elements, such as bark and leaves. You could create a photomontage and use the results as a background against which to display the best writing that you have produced on trees.

Further Reading and Listening

P O E T R Y A N D S O N G S

‘Acorn’ and ‘Willow’ spells in The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris and the activities in An Explorer’s Guide to The Lost Words

N O N-F I C T I O N

http://calloftheforest.ca/how-to/

oak

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Thrift 1

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Thrift is the county flower of Pembrokeshire, where Jackie Morris lives. Why do you think it is also the county flower of Bute and the Isles of Scilly?

The word ‘thrift’ can mean money-saving, but it also links with the word ‘thrive’. Why do you think this might be an appropriate name for this plant?

Thrift 2

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• in extremis• ba s a l t• mora ine• spoi l heap• ta i l ing• g race

What is meant by ‘where going’s rough and margin’s fine’?

This plant is also called sea pink and rock rose. Which name do you prefer, and why?

thri

ft

19

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Using coloured pencils, find the secret strings for:

• a l l iterati on• rhy me• ha lf-r hy me• consona nce• a ssona nce• repetit i onWhat is the surprising image in the second stanza which contrasts with the image created of thrift so far?

Which different landscape features are spoken of in the spell?

Search for images of thrift on the internet and decide which pictures best illustrate the different locations mentioned in the spell.

What metaphors are used for thrift? Which is your favourite and why?

What does ‘hardship is a limit not a failing’ mean? Can you think of another situation in real life where the same could be said?

What do you think the main message is in this spell?

W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Choose a plant that grows in many different places – for example, daisy, dandelion, bramble, buttercup, goose grass or bindweed – and make a list of its features and qualities. Devise two metaphors for the plant. List the places where it grows, detailing some of their characteristics.

Working with your ideas, write a short descriptive piece in either poetry or prose.

thri

ft

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Thrift 3

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Identify the birds in the illustration, using the glossary to help you.

Why do you think Jackie Morris chose to depict these two particular birds alongside thrift?

R E S E A R C H C H A L L E N G E

Discover three fascinating facts about one of these birds.

C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E

Look through a range of news items to find examples of a humble person or creature who, though struggling, gives ‘a glimpse of hope in the tightest of spots’.

Further ReadingP O E T R Y

‘Peregrine’ by Robert Macfarlane

thri

ft

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swal

low Swallow 1

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

Where is this bird?

What are its most noticeable features?

Have you ever seen one?

R E S E A R C H C H A L L E N G E

The swallow is often confused with swifts and house and sand martins. Find out how to distinguish between these different birds.https://www.bto.org/develop-your-skills/bird-identification/videos/bto-bird-id-hirundines-and-swift

Swallow 2

W O N D E R W O R D S

What do these words mean?

• strea mers f low ing• se w ing f l ig ht

22

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

What do you notice about the silhouette of the swallow? Why do youthink Jackie Morris decided to do this?

How is this spell different from the other spells?

What does Robert Macfarlane mean in these lines?

‘ When w ithout w arning I fel l deep into the gap that opened up bet ween her breaths.’Compare this poem with Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘A Child’s Sleep’. http://poetryprosedrama.blogspot.com/2010/10/childs-sleep-by-carol-ann-duffy.html

What similarities and differences do you notice?

W R I T I N G C H A L L E N G E

Either:

Have you ever felt a moment of sheer panic when you seemed to be displaced from the world around you? Try to describe to a partner how it felt to you.

Thinking of the lines

. . . the sta rs un-shining , sun un-d aw ning , trees un-g row ing . . . Lig ht f a i led . . . colour f ledWhat negatives could you use?

Work with the ideas you have gathered to form a piece, perhaps called ‘Grief Beckoned’ or ‘Life Suspended’.

Or:

Discuss with a partner the things that make life dear to you.

Gather a hoard of ideas and work with each individual one, polishing the words, thinking about their rhythm, alliteration and assonance. Play with the order, speaking them aloud, until you are happy with the result. You could perhaps call your piece ‘Life, Dear Life’.

swal

low

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C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E

Watch this film of swallows.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z-wiJa2x-I

Draw a swallow silhouette on black card. Attach wires or strings so that you can fly it.

Starting with the lines

. . . you f le w low into the shadow, Sw a l low, streamers f low ing ,closing up that cha sm w ith yours wooping , se w ing f l ig ht!think of other words you could use to come up with a piece that conveys the swallow’s flight over water and its acrobatics in the sky.

Swallow 3

S E E K , F I N D, S P E A K

There is a saying ‘One swallow does not a summer make.’

What do you think this means?

R E S E A R C H C H A L L E N G E

Map a swallow’s journey from the UK to South Africa. How many countries does it pass through? How many kilometres does it travel? How long does the journey take?

Further Reading

S H O R T S T O R Y

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

N O V E L

Dear Olly by Michael Morpurgo

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low