Like many, my first experience with Morpurgo's work was seeing a production of War Horse. It was a memorable. I then learned that he has written over 100 books-quite an accomplishment.

Here Morpurgo offers some thoughts on spring. I was drawn in right away by the book's beautiful cover; what was inside did not disappoint.

The sections of this book follow the months of the season, beginning in March and ending in June. Morporgo writes as if he is having a conversation with the reader. A keen observer, he brings his countryside to life in a narrative that is interspersed with literary and musical references. Note that the author is a realist and shares ways in which life in the country is not always pretty, as for example, when a sparrowhawk attacks.

It is clear that Morporgo loves his part of the country, potholes and all. He has an appreciation for his home, his farm and its history. Morporgo acknowledges the bad and dreary weather that is interspersed with more lovely spring days.

This book will leave the reader with a glimpse of a life that may be quite different from their own. For me, with much of my nature found in botanical gardens, virtual time spent in this Spring season in England was most enjoyable.

Note that there are some nice lino cut illustrations throughout this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mobius Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

It wasn’t until I became a gardener that I truly fell in love with spring. This season is absolutely magical - there’s nothing like watching the earth wake up from its dormancy and show its first signs of life with buds forming, new growth peeking out of the soil, and the elongation of sunny days that make you want to stay outdoors just a liiiiiittle bit longer. Morpurgo captures the eager anticipation of spring’s arrival well, along with the harmony that comes with living an existence in tune with the seasons.

With that said, while I loved the premise of this book and some of Morpurgo’s lyrical prose, this either could have been condensed into a long essay, or imbued with more reflection for a full book. While the beginning dazzled with the author’s joy at the season, we soon got lost in too-long descriptions of the physicality of sheep and wrens. I’m more interested in how the author related to new life emerging in the natural world in a season of rebirth than in 20+ pages describing the process of lambing.

All in all, a good read and one that gardeners and those who live in tune with their environments will appreciate. Thank you to NetGalley and Mobius Books for the ARC!

A very poetic small book about spring in the English countryside, felt like you could see this in front of you. Wish it were longer, the writing is lyrical but also obviously full of love about nature and its cycles.

The author captures the season in prose and illustration in a personal journalled look at Spring in Devonshire.

We live in the countryside as well (but in the US), and reading this while Spring is blooming here as well was wonderful. Spring is my favorite season and I found this short book to be a lovely, joyous read.

If you look forward each year to the reappearance of Spring, this is an absolute recommendation. *Spring* is a title I will get for my own bookshelf and return to as winter begins to make way for rolling hills of green and birdsong.



Thank you to Hodder Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Beautifully written, “Spring” by Michael Morpugo really takes you into the landscape of Dorset during the long and dreary lead-up to spring. While I loved this book, I’d hoped for a bit more time spent in the sunshiny aspects of English springtime, though I know how fleeting and rare days like that are. Nearly every essay mentioned how tired he was of the chilly weather (but also, I get it.) Those were the only things keeping me from 5 stars. The quality of the writing was absolutely stunning - it possessed a descriptive eloquence that reminded me of Thomas Hardy (and brought sentences like these into my writing, haha)… a great little book to read as spring comes to your area!

I loved this book. It is a wonderful reminder to stop and appreciate nature in all of its glory - good and bad. This is very short and is almost like a diary of sorts. A quick read that is a nice palate cleanser that will hopefully encourage readers to go outside and just be happy!

This was a charming, pastoral glimpse into country life. It served as a great escape from the quick pace of city life, transporting me onto a quiet farm where life moves with the seasons. I loved that it was broken down by month/time periods, and was somewhere between literary nonfiction, journals, and poetry.