Farm Anatomy: Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Anatomy

by Julia Rothman

What's the difference between a weanling and a yearling, or a farrow and a barrow? Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman's charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from tractors and pigs to fences, hay bales, crop rotation patterns, and farm tools, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. From the shapes of squash varieties to the parts of a goat; from how a barn is constructed to what makes up a beehive, every corner of the barnyard is uncovered and celebrated. A perfect gift for gardeners, locavores, homesteaders, and country-living enthusiasts alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Reference, Art, Food, Gardening

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[TAP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so ready for spring. I am excited to start the garden and ready to provide for the pollinators. Bring back the bees!

Farm Anatomy is a charming but unnecessary book. It is a simple introduction and overview of the different components that make up farm life. The illustrations and diagrams are nice, but without an in-depth explanation of each part, there is no point. Different parts of a plant are labeled, different parts of a tractor are labeled, different parts of a cow are labeled; but we do not get any useful information about the importance of each component.

This is a good book for a child with an interest in farming or homesteading, but an adult looking for practical information should look elsewhere.

[Martha☀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of a cute idea - labeled drawings of farm equipment, livestock and agriculture from a non-farmer artist. There is no text at all. It is simply drawings of random farming things. It is not really useful but fun all the same.

[jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia Rothman presents a delicious visual catalog of farm work wtih beautiful illustrated collections of pigs, tractors, milking devices, hay bales, crop rotations, squash, eggplant, etc. This book is good for browsing or daydreaming, and provides the vocabulary of the farm if you're unfamiliar. The author created the book because her husband grew up on the farm and she was trying to get closer to that, which is sweet. As a result, the information is not advanced or technical; it's pretty accessible even if you've never stacked hay or grown a tomato. The illustrations are really lovely. I'm sad to return this to the library.

[Julie Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute! now I want her nature anatomy book

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s engaging talent for artistic presentation is on full display in this charming introduction to farming and farm life. From soil composition to breeds of sheep and everything in between (including some lovely recipes), this volume would be an excellent resource for home schoolers and families learning the basics about farming. The only downside is the print. The author adapted a font from her own handwriting and, while legible (unlike my own) it becomes difficult to read in some places. Otherwise, this beautiful book would be a wonderful addition to any library.

[Janisse Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's lovely. Someone gave it to my daughter as a gift when she was a pre-teen, and she loved coloring the wonderful images.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My two-year-old loves it. It won't be of much practical use for anyone else due to its simplistic information and cartoon-style illustrations (as another reviewer said, "charming but unnecessary"), though it is fun to flip through. ;-)

[Darbin O’Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info graphic type of book, gives lots of helpful pictures. Not allot of in depth info that you may need. This is good for the basics. Cannot state enough how beautiful the artwork is.

I would recommend to those that forgot everything from 4H and wanna brush up. Also, for anyone who loves pretty pretty illustrations.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the way it was laid out; lots of pictures, a brief overview that was somehow PACKED with information. This is shelved in our children’s section, but I think adults would love it. In fact, I loved it so much I found the author’s other two books, which are about food and nature!

[Emmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually so good that I lowkey want to be a farmer now. My favorite parts were the section about bunnies cause bunnies are adorable and the section with farmer crafts you can make like yarn, a flower press, and quilts. I also liked how it had a lot of recipes that you can make.

[M.L. Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore these books.

[Eunhae Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

fan

[Elyssia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were so cute! Makes me wanna go back to Stardew Valley 🧺🍃.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75☆

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

sad to be done with this series.

[Kaylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was the most enjoyable yet informative book I have ever gotten from the library. The visual guides help with absorbing the information presented. Not only that, this book is thorough in the information it covers. If ever I were to buy a coffee table book that I would actually read again, this would be it!

[Lydia Batchelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the art and I didn't think I would learn as much as I did. I really liked the chapter about animals because animals are cool.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed overview of a classic farm, from basic crops, animals, buildings and farm pests, to tools and methods with a sprinkling of recipes and patterns thrown in for those who'd like to get some hands on experience.

Having worked at an open-to-visitors farm not too far from a fairly major city, this is a book I would have loved to have had on hand for tour groups and that I completely agree with the need for this information. You would not believe how many grade school kids (and parents) I talked to that had no idea that wool came from sheep, what goats were or that only female chickens laid eggs! Not to mention thinking that brown cows gave chocolate milk... If I have one quibble with this book, it is the animal anatomy pages that don't state male or female animal (and what should or shouldn't be there for the other gender). Another common misconception I burst a lot, was that all cattle give milk, not just the females and books like this could help clear that up.

No content issues.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 4 out of 5]

You do not need to be a farmer to enjoy this book. The facts and illustrations are so delightful that I want to wallpaper a room in my house with the pages of this book.

Um, gush.

And there are recipes, too. Not to mention tips on predicting the weather, how to make simple knots, and how to identify popular quilt patterns (but that's not all...).

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely book with whimsical drawings covering the breadth of "country life" - from soil and crops to animals and yarn, this book covers many topics with basic descriptions and explanations of each drawing. It is a delightful, colorful work which would make a great artistic gift for a fellow gardener or farmer.

[Andrea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god this book is awesome!!!! If you are reading farm stuff and realized how bored you are and need something brighter then this is the book for you! It has wonderful drawn colored pictures and actually alot of useful information. It's the farm chicks book to go to. I will be buying a copy to keep on hand.

[Josh Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very impressed, got this book for my son and then I couldn't end up putting it down. Being a family farmer and being from farmer stock for many many years I pretty much knew all the information in this book - however it is still engaging and entertaining and is a perfect starting point for any young future farmer.

[Nicole Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd say 'perused' more than read... This is not a traditional cover-to-cover read; full of beautiful illustrations, tidbits and how-tos, recipes and more.

A definite recommend for anyone interested in where food comes from, anyone who keeps a kitchen garden, or has any interest in farming, and definitely for anyone with a love of illustration!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is an illustrator, and her book of pictures is both whimsical and informative. Filled with many informative captions, I learned so much about farm life from the anatomy of a bee to how to make cheese. It's not the typical narrative style as it's mostly pictures, so it's an awesome book to read a few pages at the end of a long day. Unique!

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and fun to pore over. Not at all a comprehensive book about farming or homesteading, but a lovely collection of art and information. I would love to frame quite a few of the pages of these books to hang in my house!

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farm Anatomy is a heavily illustrated book which covers a lot of general information on farming with common animal types, crop types and some recipes thrown in as well.

It's not a farming manual per se but rather a good introduction to the base topics involved in becoming a small land holder.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book. I disagree with some of the information, but I'll chalk that up to artistic and cultural differences (I'm from a Midwestern, not an Eastern farm). But lovely illustrations, charts and graphs. I'd love to frame some of these pages.

[Rebekka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This illustrated book gives simple and general information and instructions of living the rural and farm life. It's not supposed to be exhaustive, and that's why I like it. She gives enough information to be familiar with the subejct and to do your own research if you wish to know more.

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

a nice basic book as an introduction to agriculture. think of it as a dictionary with pictures for someone with a non-ag background. if you want to farm there are several books that will provide more information but for general information this is a great starting point.

[Gef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderfully illustrated book about farm life, though not terribly deep on any particular facet. Great book for kids, I'd wager.