Monday, October 17, 2011

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!

186 comments:

ashtree said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hollie said...

What a beautiful book, count me in please!

ashtree said...

What a fun book! I'd love a chance to win a copy. ashtree8 at gmail.com

Anonymous said...

It looks lovely!
jalley22 at hotmail.com

Alicia said...

What a great book. Count me in too.

Alicia
red.oak.cottage@gmail.com

Sandra said...

What an enjoyable looking read!

aslongasoldwomen@gmail.com

Amber Pixie Shehan said...

Beautiful! That would often be perused in my home. :)

Amber (headpixie@pixiespocket.com)

Rebecca said...

The book looks great! Thanks!

Christie said...

What a dream-come-true of a book. Gorgeous!

Green Zebra Market Garden said...

I love the illustrations style!

Leigh-Ann said...

I browsed through a copy of this a couple days ago -- it's beautiful! I'd love to have a copy of my own. :) Congrats to Julia on such a wonderful book!

-Leigh-Ann (leifree@gmail.com)

Katherine Ross said...

Such great illustrations!! Thanks for hosting the giveaway :)

lonibenfield said...

Looks gorgeous and informative - a delight for readers of all ages! Count me in too. loni.benfield at gmail.com

Jenna said...

these illustrations look amazing! i would love to win.

K and A of Little Alexander said...

So lovely!

fancygantz said...

What a fun-looking book! I'd love to win a copy! Thanks for the chance to. :)

Linden said...

I LOVE what you've shown of the book and thanks for the chance to win!

dorking at orcasonline.com

Miss Minty said...

I DO pine for my own little farm! Someday...

Thanks so much, Ashley!

emily { a t } alumni { d o t } jmu { d o t } edu

Sacha Joy said...

Oh, I would love this book. It's beautiful. I think it would actually be a great children's book for my baby girl. Sort of like the Richard Scarry word books.

Meg said...

I love the look of this book!

Brittany P. said...

I would be ever so happy to win this book. It looks like a real treasure. Please count me in.

abpughsley@windstream.net

Ashley said...

I would love love love this book!

petoskystone said...

love the style of this book. please count me in on this giveaway. thanks! jlalexia(at)yahoo(dot)com

Deborah said...

It doesn't look like my comment posted, so I'll try again.

What a fun book! As an artist and an avid gardener, I'm looking forward to thumbing through the pages. Looks like another great book from Storey.

Jamie said...

Such a beautiful book!! Count me in!

Jamie
Jamie.elfrank@gmail.com

imjoyous said...

looks awesome! houck.j(at)gmail (dot)com

Anonymous said...

How lovely! elizabeth.gillette@gmail.com

Lavigne Photography said...

What a cool and lovely book! lavignephoto.com

Laura said...

so awesome! I'd love a copy!! (demarest.laura at gmail.com)

Leanna said...

This book looks great!

leannafford at gmail.com

Julie said...

I've seen this book on several blogs, and I'm definitely intrigued. I love Storey's books in general. Thanks for the giveaway!

Anonymous said...

What a fun book! I would love to win this book to use at summer camps and at my job as an historical interpreter! Thanks for the opportunity!

Pauline
fiberlooney@yahoo.com

6512 and growing said...

This looks like a beautiful book. Thanks for the giveaway.

Kate Klein said...

This book is on the top of my list! The page with the natural dyes captured my imagination-- the whole thing looks so lovely and inspirational! kate.m.klein@gmail.com

Sarah M said...

What a cool looking book! Thanks for the opportunity!
Sarah M
sslamast@gmail.com

Crunchy Chicken said...

Ooh, that looks awesome. Count me in!

sarah said...

What a gorgeous book! It would be treasured here. Thank you for the chance! sarah dot brassard at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

*swoon*

Thanks for the opportunity!

jenmfoley83@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

feeling inspired just from the pages shown!!
wallygirl013@yahoo.com

unsightly said...

This will be a great book to flip through and look at with your son once he gets a little older. So beautiful!

Krista said...

such a beautiful book!

pulchrabliss(at) hotmail (d0t)com

Alexandra said...

Fun! That looks like a lovely book :)

girlwillgo[at]gmail.com

Laura Camp said...

That looks awesome!

Geraldine said...

Fantastic! geraldine.mcintosh@gmail.com

steph said...

what beautiful illustrations! i would love to win this!
sjs827@yahoo.com

angesinclair said...

I saw this book on Design Sponge too and immediately added it to my wish list. Love it! agsinclair AT gmail DOT com

Harmony said...

Love the illustrations and ideas! I'd love to own this book!

shinnick13@hotmail.com

eidolons said...

Goodness! That book looks so amazing! Thanks for the chance to win it!

Anonymous said...

I was so into finding it on amazon that I forgot to leave a comment. :) Looks really cool. :)

Anonymous said...

Looks like a fun book!

Stephanie said...

beautiful!

www.myyearoffood.com

Team Fun said...

Love this! We move to our farm Dec 21st....would be just perfect.

ryanandlaura247 said...

Oh my. It looks so perfect for an super visual person, like myself. Thanks!

liz fehrenbach said...

exciting! such a gorgeous book. thanks for the chance to win! running_goddess at hotmail.com

KatB said...

Great giveaway - thanks for letting me enter! :)
hepkittenink@gmail.com

Carrie said...

What a beautiful book! A handy reference for children and grownups alike!

Anonymous said...

We live on a lovely acerage in northern Alberta. This book would be great inspiration to have on our shelf!
jwalty@hotmail.com

Kathryn said...

Such a fun looking book, was just discussing the illustrations with my dad!

Liz said...

Oooh... what lovely illustrations for all of these areas of life! The colors are especially striking. Thanks for the giveaway! lizdelf (at) gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Looks like fun. Count me in.

sebetteh(at)hotmail(dot)com

Maria said...

This looks fabulous! I love the illustrations!!

Chartreuse Latitude said...

i can't wait to see these illustrations!!
shannonchartreuse@gmail.com

Robin said...

My goodness, what a beautiful book!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous!

I cannot wait to check this book out!!

Amber
amberlinstrom@gmail.com

nancy lili g said...

Ooh, please count me in! I'd like to write a review of it for my own blog.

--Nancy Lili

http://themonstersflashlight.wordpress.com

Shaheen [The Purple Foodie] said...

I saw this book somewhere and fell in love instantly. It's so beautiful. And I'm lucky to be living right next to a farm now. :D

Anonymous said...

*fingers tightly, tightly crossed*

scribbles.and.strokes at gmail dot com

Make Do and Mend said...

Oooh, pick me! I'd love to win. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.

mc said...

My sister would love this so much. She is going to start her own farm soon. And it's such a beautiful book!

Mariah said...

Beautiful! Please enter me in the drawing! Thank you. Cloudy9420 (at) aol (dot) com.

Keri said...

Oh, gracious. This book just looks deeeelightful!

keri.smith5@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

This book looks amazing!

megan said...

Homesteading heaven...hellomegan [at] gmail

Sarah said...

What a gorgeous book! Just what I've been looking for.... Hope I win!

Tru Vani said...

What a fun and beautiful book! I would love to read (and win) one! truwillow@bellsouth.net

mornnen said...

I'd love to win a copy of this book.

julieosland@hotmail.com

Hugh said...

That sounds like a good read. Count me in.

Lillian said...

Ooooh, I would LOVE to curl up on the couch and read this!

lillian(dot)wilkins(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I've enjoyed all I can see so far. I'd love to win a copy. uwharrieheirlooms@yahoo.com.

Ashley Dunton said...

Wonderful! Even if I don't win I will be buying a copy. beautybyashleyb@gmail.com

Kathleen said...

The book looks absolutely beautiful--I'll definitely need to check it out!

curlygirl8988@yahoo.com

amanda said...

me! me! pick me!

you can find me at:
www.sweetpotatoclaire,blogspot.com

Bee Girl said...

Oh...I SO would love to have this book!

skymindedandevergrowing.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

It looks like an amazing book
levay1@bigpond.com

LaurenV said...

Love the illustrations!

lslove11@yahoo.com

Gretchen said...

I do pine for a farm of my own! With this book I could dream.

Mindy said...

Looks like this book is right up my alley, or should I say my corn row?

Wendy said...

Gorgeous! Please count this as an entry!

Wendy
prayersofnaivete@gmail.com

Charisse said...

This book looks amazing! One way or another...this book will be on my shelves!

Anonymous said...

So pretty!

Unknown said...

Ooh, enter me, please. The illustrations are so cute...

crystalsdesign at gmail d0t com

Alison said...

Yup. Looks like another must-have book. So glad folks are still doing illustrations by hand--old botanical prints are some of my favorite illustrations (beautiful and educational)--and it's nice to see that spirit applied to the larger subject of farm life.

elisa said...

oh my goodness, i've longed for a book like this, the drawings are absolutely beautiful! so much information. i love the old fashioned tools, just what i adore. gorgeous. x

Shuler said...

Beautiful book!
dizzywiththevision@yahoo.com

Caitlin said...

I would LOVE a copy of this book, thank you for the giveaway!!

cluderer@gmail.com

Michelle said...

This looks amazing and would be very helpful!

steim99@yahoo.com

tera said...

sounds great! I think If i don't win i'll head over to buy a copy at amazon next week. thanks so much

mamasnowbunny@hotmail.com

Amanda said...

Fun! I'd love to win a copy, too. My email is amandahollinger@gmail.com. Thanks.

Sarah said...

I would love to be entered to win the book, it looks awesome. I can be contacted at sekinkead at gmail.com

greyson briere said...

Sounds like a great book for inspiration during the long cold nights ahead, for sure! Winner or not I will definitely check this book out!
http://sweetmusingsfromthecove.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

wonderful book! elizabethgmarshall@gmail.com

kelley said...

Looks absolutely beautiful!

Anonymous said...

That book looks awesome - my dream is to raise a family on a small farm... maybe one day!
sdwelley@gmail.com

Jessica said...

Absolutely delightful illustrations. I'd love a chance to win a copy.

helianthus12@gmail.com

jodi said...

Fun! Thanks for sharing : )

Tracy said...

Looks like a great book!

tracymmeadows@gmail.com

Jennifer said...

I'd LOVE to read this! We've recently started backyard beekeeping (thanks for your great book on this :) ) and dream of moving to more land and more opportunities for farm "stuff." :)
jennifer.anne.howe@gmail.com

Kelly said...

Looks like the perfect book to curl up with on a cool fall night and dream of my farm-to-be! The illustrations look gorgeous as well. :)

Anonymous said...

I love picture books for adults!
Erika
mayorofhooperville@gmail.com

Ngo Family Farm said...

Love the style of this book!

Susan said...

How delightful!

suzenknits (at) gmail (dot) com

Nicole d. said...

what an awesome book! I would love to have that in my library!

canole07 at gmail dot com

jen said...

It looks like the perfect way to dream of vicariously living a farming life.

Grace said...

This looks like a fun read. Throw my name into the hat, please.

jenni bailey said...

My fingers are definitely crossed to win a copy of this! I'm moving into a new house next year with lots of land around it and I think I will need all the guidance I can get as I figure out what to do with it all.

redhott said...

This book looks like fun! The nephews may even pour through it with me.

Melanie J. said...

Commenting! Thanks for the opportunity, looking forward to checking out the other blogs too.

bekah said...

would love to take a look at it. rebekahhlawrence at gmail.com Name same as email.

Erica said...

Oooh, this book looks right up my alley, count me in, but just in case, I just put it on my amazon.com wish list as well! :)

erica_1442@yahoo.com

elizabeth said...

That looks beautiful. Can't wait to read more!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful book. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

-the redhead-

Ellen said...

Hello Ms. Ashley! If I happen to be chosen, please email me at ewrede13@cornellcollege.edu :)

Cascabel said...

Looks like I picked a good day to stumble onto your site. I'll be visiting it often, I promise.

Sonora said...

The beautiful illustrations remind me of those cooperative board games published in the 70s (like the Save the Whales Game, the Farm Game, etc.)!
Sonora
rosie_nora@yahoo.com

Kelly said...

I have this book on my wishlist already! Fingers crossed!

Sarah said...

Wow, I would have pored over that as a kid. Or an adult :)

thelynns said...

Hope I am not too late. casnlynn@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful looking book! Count me in!

CCarter said...

Drat, I submitted my comment without info. Here I am!

timon keely oona clio said...

oooh yes!

Amanda said...

My kids and I would read this together. akmh75 at gmail.com

dayodestin said...

what a beautiful book. hope it's not too late to enter!
jrfehlauer (at) gmail (dot) com

dayodestin said...

what a beautiful book. I hope it's not too late to enter!
jrfehlauer at gmail dot com

Megs said...

Looks like a really neat book! Wuld love to read it with my girls!
megsoco @ gmail.com

Stef said...

Throw my name into the pot too! It looks like a great book! (sndemott@hotmail.com)

DarcC said...

Looks like a great read and a great resource! hamletgrove at yahoo dot com. Thank you!

dayodestin said...

what a beautiful book. I hope it's not too late to enter!
jrfehlauer at gmail dot com

Carissa said...

What a gorgeous book! Looks totally educational as well.

carissa.savage@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Love the illustrations!

laura said...

I would love to have that book on my nightstand!
lejackson16@gmail.com
Thanks!

Minna S. said...

this book seems like it would be so fun to read! thanks for the chance to win (:

please contact here:
so.minna@gmail.com
or here:
tealandtea@gmail.com

Carlin said...

What a lovely book! I wold love to work for Storey (or Lark!), creating beautiful books like this one. This is on my Christmas list.

Carlin said...

Ugh, and I hate when I don't proofread my comments!

Beth said...

Beautiful book - I would love to spend some time with this book!

bergerfamily@bellsouth.net

Anonymous said...

Wow, just what I need. It looks fun and informative!

Tory at aya dot yale dot edu

Heidi said...

Looks like the perfect read to cozy with by the fire this winter.

Thanks for putting my name in the hat

A. Verzello said...

I'm obsessed with farming, but I've only ever lived in the city! I would love this book.

Liz Living Country said...

How amazing that someone takes the time to observe and record all the aspects of Farm Life.

Chantal said...

Eek! This book reminds me a little of David Macaulay and his book The Way We Work, but oh the subject matter is so near and dear to my heart!

chantal.marlinski@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

The book's illustrations are intriguing!

michyrj@aol.com

Debra said...

The book looks amazing! I would love to be entered to win. debra@myvintagehome.com

Tonya Gunn said...

How fun! naturalearthfarm@netzero.net

The Q said...

I am dying to get a chance to look through this book!

The Q said...

I am dying to get a chance to look through this book!

heather said...

love love LOVE this book! My dream garden journal!!
hmgrisso@gmail.com/www.lettuceturnipthebeet.blogspot.com

jules said...

This book looks fabulous! I'd love to win. jules_p548 at yahoo.com

Maison Blanche said...

Would LOVE to win this cool book. The illustrations are great and looks like lots of good info as well.
Janet

witecranes@msn.com

Maison Blanche said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Courtney said...

What a beautiful book! I try to read every 'how to homestead' book that I can get my hands on, so I'd love to not have to wait until it shows up at a local library :-)

courtney dot a dot behrens at gmail dot com

http://for-the-beauty.blogspot.com/

ErinLynn said...

what a great book to "read" through with my 3 year old son!
bellalunafish@gmail.com

sloejennfizz said...

That books looks lovely!
gojenngo@gmail.com

Parshall Family said...

I feel like I must have this book!!!
Rebecca
rwparshall@frontiernet.net

Krystle said...

Wow! This looks like a great book! I would love one!

JCrain3 said...

Looks like a good book. I would be delighted if I could win it in a drawing.

JCrain3 said...

This looks like a good book. I would be delighted to win it in your drawing. Thanks for all the giveaways.

Heather said...

What a lovely and educational book!

barrera.heather@gmail.com

Astrid, Mike, Leon + Oliver said...

That book is a visual delight. I would love to win it! :)

awbaas (at) gmail (dot) com

Denise said...

Wow that book looks really informative! Count me in on the giveaway. dadrpark at aol dot com

Gretchen said...

What a gorgeous way to celebrate and educate! Would love that along side my other homestead books.

Holly said...

The Farm Anatomy book looks wonderful! Thank you Storey for hosting this giveaway.

melissa said...

The book looks great. Thanks for the opportunity.

Willow said...

Crossing my fingers!
WillowARodriguez@gmail.com

Leigh said...

What a beautiful book, and such a handy reference. Thanks for the chance!

nasturtium(at)fastmail.fm

Brenny said...

Looks like a wonderful book to answer questions for my city raised kids and grandkids!
brenda.seader@gmail.com

Katie said...

I just found your blog, and my goodness, I'll be back! -Katie
arbonne.herbold@gmail.com

Ellen Landrum said...

Wow! What a beauty- I'd be thrilled to win!
Erlandrum@gmail.com

Emily said...

It's a lovely book!

Emilyolivemama@aol.com

Anonymous said...

looks like a fun read thanks! segura3 at ameritech.net

Salem said...

Skimmed this book the other day and fell in love with its pictorial approach! Count me in for the giveaway.

Anonymous said...

what a beautiful book! the mention of dandelion wine took me back to the 9th grade when my friend jamie and i drank all of his parents' homemade batch after school one day. :) ~hilarymk@yahoo.com

Tracie said...

What a perfect idea for a book! I am an urban homesteader (and an artist!) learning a little something new every day. I would LOVE to have a copy of this book! (bramblythicket at mywildacres.com)

Seniye said...

Would love to be entered for the giveaway. Thank you.

Madame Hester said...

Oh, this book looks beautiful. For some reason, it reminds me of something my husband might like.

Alice said...

This book is darling--even if I'm not lucky enough to win, I'll definitely pick it up. I looked through the preview on on Amazon and there are so many things that reminded me of growing up on a farm that I had long forgotten! (alice at kathrynivy.com)

Eleanor @ Planned Resilience said...

That has got to be the coolest book. I would love to win a copy.

petoskystone said...

yea! thank you :)