The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith. Illustrated by Madeline Kloepper

Brooke sees Mimi as so much more than a grandmother. She’s more like a grand friend. Mimi is a writer, and she weaves words into everything, but her very favourite words are disappearing. She makes a list of those words, from acorn, acpricot, beaver … to willow and wren. Together, Brooke and Mimi go in search of the things those words stand for. Then she asks Brooke to be something very special – a keeper of wild words.

This story shares the same sentiments as The Lost Words by Robert McFarlane and Jackie Morris, but it is through narrative instead of poetry. It also brings out the relationship between young people and their elders. If The Lost Words says that for words to remain in useage they must be learned, then The Keeper Of Lost Words says that for words to remain in usage they must be taught. It is undoubtedly the love and trust between Mimi and Brooke that makes this teaching possible.

Illustrations take us on the trail with Brooke and Mimi. The plants and animals are found within beautifully painted settings, with pencil-like lines used to bring out the different textures found within nature. It is lovely to see how the pair interact with their settings. They sniff violets, creep past a settled dear, and lift their faces to the sky to watch a flock of Starlings. Words could not create the contentment and love in their faces in the same way as Kloepper’s illustrations.

The story empowers young people to see themselves as the guardians not only of language, but of nature. Children, and especially small children, can feel powerless in a world run by adults. Choosing the direction of the future begins by caring about things as a child. A nature walk now means caring about wildlife in later life. A list of words now might hold the seed of a future novel.

A beautiful story that introduces the idea of stewardship in a way that is accessible to younger children. This is also a celebration of grandparents, elders, and their role in educating the young.