Farm anatomy (Storey Publishing LLC)

From keeping chickens to raising vegetables, the allure of farm life is permeating popular culture. Noted artist and illustrator Julia Rothman has caught the bug, and from her Brooklyn studio she offers "Farm Anatomy", an enticing visual guide to the parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from tractors, pigs, and sheep to fences, hay bales, crop rotation patterns, and tools, Rothman paints a richly entertaining and informative picture of life in the country. Readers will discover fascinating facts on every page, from the shapes of squash varieties to the parts of a goat; from how a barn is built to what makes up a beehive. Every corner of the barnyard is uncovered, revealing its own distinctive vocabulary and cultivating a new appreciation for the complexity of living close to the land. Known for her ability to communicate detailed information in a visual format, Rothman provides an irresistibly browsable book that will appeal to people of all ages. The practical and the curious combine in instructions for everything from making cheese to spinning wool.