The Inspiration Behind Cypress Knees and Tupelo Trees by Cathy Melvin

Following the publication of the children’s book Cypress Knees and Tupelo Trees: Discovering Plants and Animals of the Swamp by collage artist Cathy Melvin, I was able to join Cathy just of I-530 (Exit 9) to stroll in the Lorance Creek Natural Area.

The book was inspired by this area, which Cathy and her son adopted during the pandemic. After working with Cathy for nearly a year to edit and publish the book, it was incredible to behold some of the very plants, insects, and scenes that led her to write and collage this book.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Sean Clancy Interviews Cathy Melvin

Today in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Sean Clancy writes:

"I think cypress knees are magical," says Cathy Melvin as she points out a smattering of the distinctive, knobby extensions of a cypress tree's root system poking up from the dark, shallow waters of Lorance Creek.

It's a cloudy, chilly, Thursday morning earlier this month and Melvin is strolling along the trail that winds through the Lorance Creek Natural Area near Hensley. This is the place that helped inspire "Cypress Knees and Tupelo Trees: Discovering Plants and Animals of the Swamp," Melvin's charming and fun debut children's book that will be published Saturday by Little Rock's Et Alia Press.

The book is filled with Melvin's colorful, creative collages that are reminiscent of Eric Carle, the author and illustrator of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar” . . .

CLICK HERE for the full article.