Winter's Song

Seasonal Quartet #4

by Angela Harding

'When the snow falls quickly, it brings dramatic change. Hare, rabbit and bird tracks become visible in the lanes and fields.'

' When it snows, I am a child again. I must go out for a crunching, snowy walk, and experience the landscape transformed. It is a cliché to call it Narnia, but when the snow falls thickly it does bring dramatic change that makes our familiar village feel like a new place, a place unknown. Hare, rabbit and bird tracks become visible in the lanes and fields. The world is quiet and still. Birds no longer sing, except for the robin; the robin song becomes voluminous. This small bird puffs up his red breast, the song notes tumble into the frosty air.'

Winter's Song is the final book in a stunning seasonal quartet from beloved printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding. Each title in this pocket-sized series takes readers on a journey through the seasons, reflecting Angela's observations as the nature around her transforms and evolves over the course of a year. Taking in landscapes across the UK including views from her home studio in Rutland, to the Scottish wilderness, via the low-lying marshlands of Suffolk and the windswept hills of Yorkshire, the beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for nature lovers and art lovers everywhere.

Featuring over thirty of Angela Harding's favourite prints alongside observations taken from her books A Year Unfolding, Wild Light and Still Waters & Wild Waves, each short, small book in this seasonal collection is a beautiful new way to enjoy Angela's work and celebrate nature and wildlife across the UK at all times of year.

Collect all four Spring Unfurled, Summer's Hum, Falling into Autumn, Winter's Song.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Art, Christmas

51 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Angela Harding is a fine art painter and illustrator based in Wing, Rutland, specialising in lino prints and giftware inspired by British birds and countryside.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I find winter images inspiring to create, the tree branches against the sky, and reducing colour use to a simpler palette suits the way I like to work.”

Earlier this year I read and reviewed another book by Angela Harding, A Year Unfolding. It was such a pleasure that I had to get her Winter’s Song. Again it includes an art print on every page. She is extremely sensitive to nature. There is a little text about her response to the things around her and her art. This another book that would make a lovely gift.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly beautiful, loved the images and text. Really made me look at winter in a totally different way than before, and I was able to see how much hidden beauty there truly is if one is paying close attention to nature and what’s happening around one’s self. I’m usually wrapped up in my own head and end up missing a lot of fantastic observations that are right in front of me. This is definitely a call to use your senses to appreciate and understand the world around you. All of those intricate details really make the book the success that it is. Gorgeously rendered, very rich. I feel like I’m opening up a present on Christmas morning with this delightful and throughly wonderfully book. I’m so excited to delve into the other seasons as they occur. Spring will be next obviously, and I feel very anxious about not having any material in between now and then, but then I noticed she has a few books that aren’t part of the seasonal series, and so I’m eagerly ordering those to hold me over as well as a calendar and bookmarks. You can definitely say that I’m an ardent fan already and that I’m taking the time to go deep and savor these precious moments like the gifts they are.

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gift and what a beautiful one! I love Angela Harding illustrations and this book contains many of her beautiful winter images as well as short explanations of the inspiration behind them. Her brief words encourage the reader to consider their proximity to nature, to take joy in one's surroundings and to be more observant. A delightful read to start the year and I plan to read the other installments in their respective seasons too.

[Jo Macgregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations

[Harry Howes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastical short read, gorgeous artistic renderings of a winter swept scape in England/Wales. Got me pining after some snow.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a stunning collection of wintry prints and artwork. I loved the limited colour palette, and was impressed by how unique each illustration was, despite the similar themes and style. I read it in one sitting and didn't feel like it got repetitive at all. This was a lovely book to linger over on a cold and wet winter's morning (although a snowy day would have been more atmospheric, the weather sadly did not cooperate). I also found the accompanying text much more interesting than Falling into Autumn, with personal anecdotes about the author/artist's life, her work, and the nature she's so inspired by. (My favourite story was the one of her lugging a Christmas tree home on her bike.)

My only issue is that the larger artworks are spread across two pages -- inevitable with a book this size, I suppose, but a little sad to see details lost in the crease of the spine, such as half a person walking a dog, or half a horse and rider. The text was also cut off on the page about her father's cottage, with the tantalising sentence: "This is an image that often appears in my prints -- that and his ever-present" [insert your own ending here?]

[jolovesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations, they're gorgeous and absolutely make the book. My favourites were We Three Hares, Winter Wood, Hope Park Cottage, Owl Sequence, Winter Fox and Winter Woodland. It's a shame that key parts of some illustrations are obscured by the binding of the book.

I enjoyed a few of the reflections on winter too.

(Idea for a future trip in January: to Winterton and Horsey to see the seals and their pups.)


'Winter can be a difficult time for many people. The long, dark nights, the short days, the greyness and lack of sunlight. It is an even more difficult time for wildlife. Food becomes scarce and sharp, cold nights are difficult to survive.'

'When it snows, I am a child again. I must go out for a crunching, snowy walk and experience the landscape transformed.'

'When winter days become shorter and shorter, a break in grey clouded skies is something that really lifts the spirits.'

'It is always an incredible experience when you find yourself looking up on a clear night at a star-filled sky.'

[Sekaringtias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this in the middle of winter, snuggled on the sofa, inside a warm lodge with large windows exposing the outside woodlands, looking at the different creatures that have been jumping and climbing the trees.. The winter truly has a beautiful song

[Mae Leveson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated reflection on winter wildlife and nature.

[Hilary Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated little book,catching the essence of the countryside in winter.

[Karen Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful book in this series

[Madds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed more than anything, not amazed by the writing or the art, not sure it’s entirely my cup of tea sadly.

[Stephanie Miceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely wildlife and nature illustrations and blurbs about the beauty of the winter season.

[Steven Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love these books. I have the full set, and I am trying hard to only read one per season, lol. So, I shall read this again while winter is still on our doorstep.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Artwork

[Jodi Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful book by Angela harding. This time a look at winter and its beauty. Her love of nature shines through and it's a pleasure to see her work.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Harding’s art is just one of my favorites!