Farm Anatomy (+Giveaway!!!)

Illustrator Julia Rothman is, and always has been, a city girl. Her husband, however, grew up on a farm. Visits to his family's property piqued her urban interests, ultimately resulting in the creation of her gorgeous new book Farm Anatomy (Storey).

Even if you don't pine for a farm of your own, Julia's book will tempt you. From recipes on making Dandelion Wine to illustrations detailing the parts of a pig, from instructions on how to spin yarn to drawings on building a bean trellis, she covers the spectrum of agrarian pursuits. Whether you're the dirt-under-your-fingernails type or the armchair observationist, Farm Anatomy is a captivating read.

The book is an absolute visual delight and, in my opinion, the perfect read to curl up with as we begin our long, slow climb into shorter days, longer nights and cooler weather. Julia's publisher, Storey, has graciously gifted me with a review copy of Farm Anatomy as well as one to giveaway to a small measure reader. If you'd like to be entered in the contest, simply leave a comment below with your name and a means of contacting you should you be the winner, either via a link back to your own blog/website, or with your email address. Per Storey's request, the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. I'll run the giveaway for one week, ending at midnight EST October 24th.

Even if you're not the winner, do check out Julia's book. It's obvious that she put an awful lot of loving attention into each and every illustration. Farm Anatomy manages to entertain, inspire and educate, all at the same time, which is no small feat. Well done, Julia. Well done.

*I'm part of the Farm Anatomy blog tour. While several blogs have already mentioned Juila's book, others are coming up soon. Here's a list of the full tour:

Monday, October 10, 2011: Mint

Wednesday, October 12, 2011: Growing with Plants

Friday, October 14, 2011: Things We Make

Saturday, October 15, 2011: print & pattern

Monday, October 17, 2011: small measure

Wednesday, October 19, 2011: SF Girl By Bay

Friday, October 21, 2011: Pikaland

Sunday, October 23, 2011: The Spunky Coconut

Tuesday, October 25, 2011: Reading My Tea Leaves

Wednesday, October 26, 2011: The Post Family

Thursday, October 27, 2011: Book By Its Cover

Friday, October 28, 2011: Design for Mankind


*UPDATE: Wow! You guys clearly liked this book! The lucky winner of Farm Anatomy, according to Random, is #23, Petoskystone. Thank you so very much to all that entered. I'll have another giveaway coming your way next week!