My first experience of the Hudson Valley and its surroundings came to me through books. Stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow carried me to an enchanted world where people would fall asleep for twenty years and headless horsemen roamed the night. As a child, the magical nature of these stories was sweeping; and I believed that the Catskill Mountains and Tarrytown, for instance, were mere settings created by the rich imagination of their storyteller.
When I moved to New York as a student and heard the “Tarrytown” stop announced on the Metro North train one afternoon, reality and the sublime imaginary world these stories had conjured melded; and so, began my obsession with exploring the magnificent Hudson Valley. I climbed the Catskills. I had tea in Tarrytown. I hiked around Hessian Lake. These places were real! But as real as they were, I could not shake the sense of having stepped into a tale.
Hiking the Hudson Valley has been like wandering through a storybook. Fascinating locals, secret histories, and unexpected adventures have been found around every corner. And then one particularly windy day, I encountered the characters for my story.
Little Moss, Big Tree is a celebration of the friendships that leave lasting impressions, the moments in life that cause us to pause and reflect, and the enduring magic of the natural world. This book has been two years in the making. I sincerely hope that it will render both little and big readers curious to the great outdoors.
To bring this story to life, I teamed up with Mariya Prytula, a meticulous and passionate illustrator, but, above all, a consummate artist. After studying and working in the medical field, Mariya turned her professional attention to one of her greatest passions: books. She now spins watercolor magic to create children’s illustrations inspired by folk tales and wildlife. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and her velcro Border Collie, Lucky, who also happens to be a convenient reference for illustrations of foxes.
We wanted the book to have a classic look with a modern feel.
The book will have an expansive trim size of 11.25” x 10.”
The hardcover will be foil stamped and embossed for a luxurious shine and feel.
The pages will be off-set printed on high-quality, matte coated paper and Smyth-sewn for a flat, art book-style opening.
The Cochin typeface was carefully chosen for its traditionally clean and easy-to-read look.
Check out their Kickstarter campaign: https://kck.st/2JmFaJN
