December 18, 2025, by Shandra Conley for Dreamland Books and Yarn 

Nature is a work of art.

Some of us may have vivid memories of learning about the Earth and how Mother Nature resides on it. For me I have memories of learning rock formations and tectonic plates in 5th-grade science class. I can see us sitting at the long wooden tables with our science textbooks flipped open to ‘The Rock Cycle,’ depicting igneous to sedimentary to metamorphic. I even remember further back to fourth grade when we were reviewing The Water Cycle and attempting to grow our own plants. All of these memories, though a little blurry on some details, still hold the same never-ending fascination with learning about the world that is around us. 

When I saw the cover of the book “Nature Anatomy,” I was immediately enthralled. As I quickly flipped through the pages, I was hit with beautiful illustrations depicting so many things that my eyes couldn’t scan fast enough before I found myself at the checkout counter of Dreamland Books & Yarn buying this book.

Julia Rothman does an amazing job weaving together the many different aspects of the natural world that is all around us. Each chapter has a clever theme to it, from what the earth is made of to the plants and animals that live on it. She also goes the extra mile to include different tricks for creating art, foraging, and even recipes! 

This book continued to ignite the memories of things taught long ago, but with the added aspect of a wiser reader. Although this book does have an end, we are in luck that Julia has five more anatomy books — on the ocean, wildlife, insects, farms, and even one on food! 

Learning everything about the world we live in may sound like a daunting task, but maybe if it is made easier through art, you too can see what a miraculous world we live in. 

“Nature Anatomy” is truly an encapsulating illustration book from cover to cover, and it seems most fitting to end with Julia’s dedication to her sister, who reminds her, “There is a whole world outside the city.”