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Saturday, August 1, 2020

The Keeper of Wild Words, written by Brooke Smith and illustrated by Madeline Kloepper. Chronicle Books, Raincoast. 2020. $24.99 ages 6 and up

"From sunup to sundown,
we'll walk and run and walk
again,
sit and wait,
listen and touch,
until we find every word on
the list," said Mimi.
"Or every word on the list
finds us."
"I'm ready," said Brook, and
they were off."

In this heartwarming and thoughtful book that describes a visit between two generations, the little one is looking for something special. It will be her show and tell on the first day of school. We can only hope, at this point, that there will be a 'first day of school' this fall for many children as the pandemic rages on.

As they wander Mimi explains to her granddaughter Brook that many words concerning the world of nature are beginning to disappear. Mimi is a writer and someone who uses words that matter in everything she does. She expresses a need for 'keepers' of such words and encourages Brook to know them, and to care about them enough to use them. Mimi has nineteen words on her list; together they will look for them. 

"Words disappear if we don't share
them when we talk.
If we don't write them in our stories.
If we don't read them in our books."

The list begins with acorn, and moves through the alphabet to wren. In between are words familiar to many readers. They are off for a day of adventure and discovery! They find the words from the list as they walk, each one encouraging a lovely description, and a quiet look at the nature that surrounds them. They visit the shimmering pond, the bright meadow, the quiet of the woods, a babbling brook ... where Brook learns the reason for her name.

Does she now have what she needs for show and tell? You can bet that she does!

Vivid descriptive wording, and bright artwork that honors their natural surroundings make for a day filled with the wonders of their environment and the joy to be found in words worth keeping.

On the last page, readers will find a pouch, and voiced encouragement to begin collecting their own wild words.                                                                             


From Brooke:

Several years ago, I learned that the Oxford Junior Dictionary had decided to remove over 100 natural words from its pages—my namesake, “brook,” being one of them. The editors no longer felt the words had relevance for today’s children. At first I was angry, then disillusioned, and ultimately very sad. But the power of being a writer is that you can create a world you want to see. I decided to write a book where some of these lost wild words would be celebrated and recognized beyond the pages of the dictionary. To make sure they remained an integral part of our language and our children’s stories. Nature has always been a crucial part of my life, and my daughter Mimi’s, too. We were fortunate enough to raise her on our property in Bend, Oregon with many of these wild words naturally present. I wanted to write a book that would allow children everywhere to experience the beauty of nature and feel what it’s like to wander and explore. It’s absurd to think that nature could ever be irrelevant to children. In fact, I’d argue that in the technology-filled world we now live in, nature plays a more important role than ever to provide a place to dream, rest, and wonder. I hope parents, grandparents, libraries, and schools will all become Keepers of Wild Words by sharing this book—and most importantly, the words it celebrates.

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