What happens when a mother's attempt to stay connected with her child during travel transforms into a beloved children's book series? Meet Mora Soan, a local legend in the Fredericksburg area who turned a small traveling gnome into the star of captivating stories that teach children about kindness, respect, and courage.
During our conversation, Mora reveals how a 2019 trip to Cambodia after 37 years away from her homeland became the unexpected catalyst for her writing career. With a layover in Japan and missing her children, Mora brought along a small green gnome at her daughter's request, snapping photos to send home. This simple act of connection blossomed into the Jacob the Gnome series, featuring adventures across Japan, Canada, and Korea.
What makes these books truly special is the family collaboration behind them. Mora's daughter Lana and Lana's best friend Yewon serve as illustrators, creating vibrant visuals that capture young readers' attention. As Mora explains, children "read with their eyes first," making the partnership between author and illustrators crucial to the books' success. She dispels the myth that writing for children is easy, revealing the careful craft behind creating stories that are concise, engaging, and use repetitive language that reinforces important lessons.
Beyond her writing, Mora works as a paraprofessional at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School and maintains an extensive garden with her husband – mirroring the garden that Jacob has in her stories. Her 22 years in Stafford have given her a deep appreciation for the area's growth and charm, from antique shops to beloved restaurants like La Petite Auberge.
Ready to discover these delightful stories? Find Mora's books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, in local libraries throughout Stafford and Fredericksburg, or at the MCX Exchange. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram to follow Jacob's continuing adventures and see where this little gnome travels next!
Mora Soan
soan_m@hotmail.com
Episode Transcript
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome back to another episode of the
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, where we feature stories of
local legends in theFredericksburg area.
Today we'll be hearing fromlocal legend and children's book
author, Mora Soan.
Mora, welcome to the podcast.
Hi Dori, how are you today?
I'm good.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the podcast today.
(00:34):
I'm excited to dive in andlearn all about you.
So let's start off.
Can you tell us about yourbooks?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, I'm a self-published children book
author and I wrote three booksactually.
My first one is Jacob in Japan,followed by Jacob in Canada and
my newest one is Jacob in Korea.
What makes this book so specialabout it is that my daughter,
lana Priyap, and her best friend, yewon Grissom, are the
(01:04):
illustrator, and the best thingis I don't have to pay them.
I just give them a cupcake andthey're good with it yes, that's
awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I love that.
It's so nice to be able toincorporate your children in
your passion project.
So tell us about the characters.
Give us a little bit ofbackground.
You know what's happening inthe books.
What can readers expect?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Well, jacob is a little gnome that I travel with,
actually, because it's happenedin 2019 when I went back home
for the first time in Cambodiaafter 37 years.
So on my way to Cambodia, Ihave a layover in Japan and I
knew it's going to be a longvacation without my kids, so I'm
(01:53):
going to miss them and mydaughter's like Mom, can you
take the little green gnome andyou know, when you go along,
snap a picture of him and youknow, send it to me and it's
always to keep connected.
Picture of him and you know,send it to me and it's always to
keep connected.
And that's what I did and thatlater Jacob become.
You know, it's inspired Jacobthe Gnome, the Siri.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I love that.
That's such a great, greatbackground.
I love it.
So what walk me through?
You had that experience in theairport and traveling and then
what made you decide you knowwhat I want to write a book.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
tell me a little bit about your journey actually, um,
I came back and I was like oh,lana, I have so much fun, you
know like, and I want to tellall my story to my daughter.
And she's like oh, that'sfantastic, you know.
And I say well, you're a goodillustrator, why not combine
your skill with my, you know,ability to write?
(02:51):
And we can, you know, justwrite a story about traveling
gnome and, um, we share a storyto different place that we go
together.
So now on, it's like, it's likea little thing, mothers,
mothers and daughter.
So we travel together.
We come back and I write thestory, she read over, she
corrected and then sheillustrated.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I love that I love that so much.
Tell us a little bit about yourbackground.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
My background.
Actually, I work as aparaprofessional at Kate Waller
Barrett Elementary School.
I love my job.
I am like in my environmentbecause I love kids so much and
I also read story for them so,and I do a lot of gardening.
I'm a mom like being a mom isthe best thing that I really
(03:42):
enjoy it because you know I getunconditional love from them and
it's just something.
I really enjoy it because youknow I get unconditional love
from them and it's justsomething I really enjoy doing
it.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's amazing.
Well, the students at KateWaller Barrett are lucky to have
you.
Oh, thank you.
Amazing, okay.
So when you're not in in theschools or or writing books,
what are you doing for fun?
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I own a real garden in my backyard, my husband and I
.
We grow a lot of vegetable.
We have zucchini, okra, we haveberries, we have a fruit tree,
we have apple tree, piscine,asian pear, we have flowers.
It's like Jacob the gnome hehas a garden on his stuff.
I have mine in my backyard, youknow, wow, and I love gnome as
(04:28):
well, so I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I love it.
I bet it's beautiful.
So you live in Stafford, sotell me what is it that you love
about living in the Stafford,fredericksburg area?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Actually, you know, I see this is my 22 years and I
see Stafford growing so much.
You know like it's this, themarket, you know the, the little
free market, the grocery store.
I love the antique shop inFredericksburg downtown.
I go there often with mydaughter.
(05:00):
We just, you know, strollaround.
I also love the restaurant I gowith my husband, la Petite
Aubert.
She's one of my favoritebecause it reminds me of, you
know, france and Montreal, thebistro, the cuff coffee shop.
I mean, I think Fredericksburgand Stafford is a good, good
(05:23):
place to raise family yes, Iagree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Uh, I've lived in Stafford since 98 and raised my
kids here and I agree, and ourrestaurant game is stepping it
up every day.
I feel like there's anothergreat new restaurant.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah it's like the restaurant is popping up like
mushroom, you know like we arelucky.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
We are lucky, that's for sure.
Yeah, so if, if someone came toyou and said, hey, Mora, I'm
thinking about writing a book,what advice would you give them?
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I can do a lot of research.
You know, read a lot of bookabout your genre and also, you
know, you can Google online.
There's a writing group thatyou can belong to.
You can also go to the library.
That's what I did.
There's a free writing groupand also I also part of the I
(06:19):
think it's called the RiversideWriters, and yeah, I think just
do what you love and just put itout there.
Don't be afraid to express, youknow, your, whatever you want
to express, you know just put itout there.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
That's really great advice.
Just take the leap, the leap offaith.
Yes, yes, I love it.
So do you find that there's anymyth or misconceptions, either
about about your books or aboutbeing an author of children's
books?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I think most people think oh, you know, writing
children's books is easy butit's actually very hard because
you have to make something, astory that is short, engaging,
and also you have to find a goodillustrator.
You know, like I say, I'm luckyto have one, two, actually best
friend and you have to usesimple words and it has to be
(07:19):
repetitive, you know, so kidscan remember.
And you know, just writingsomething that kids can rely to
relate to.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, it is a lot harder than it looks.
Yeah, yeah, no, it is a lotharder than it looks.
And you're right, kids do loverepetition and it helps them
remember it and then want tocome back to it.
Because kids are so funny, look, you always ask them you know,
what do you want to watch on TV?
They always say the same thingthey want to watch the same
movie over and over, they wantto watch the same show over and
(07:49):
over.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
And if they love a book, they're going to want to
read it over and over again.
Yes, yes, and illustrator likeyou, have to find the right one
Because you know, as you know,kids read with their eyes first.
You know, they see it, theylove it.
That's how you get theattention you know.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
What is something that you wish the listeners knew
about you or about your books?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Well, like Jacob is a little gnome that traveled
through different country.
Right now he's in Japan, canadaand Korea, and through his
adventure he learned to be kind,respectful and courage.
So Jacob also make friend alongthe way, so you can see the
(08:33):
character changing into a betterperson.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
I love that.
Yes, so much.
Kids can get so much fromreading your books.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, and I think all kids can rely on.
You know like relate to.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, yes, I love that, I love that.
Thank you for writing thesebooks.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You're welcome, it's my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yes, bringing this to the kids.
So if the listeners want to buya book or connect with you,
where's the best place to findyou?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Well, right now I'm on Amazon.
You can also find me at BarnesNoble.
I am also at the library, inevery library in Stafford and
Fredericksburg, and you can seeme at the MCX Exchange.
And I'm also, you know, if youwant to contact me personally,
(09:27):
at my Facebook, Mora Soan.
And also I have my Instagram atJacob underscore der underscore
, no, and yeah, you can justemail me, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I'm all the place.
You're everywhere.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
You're everywhere.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I love it.
Well, Mora, we are so lucky toget to have a local author like
you in the Fredericksburg area.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the podcast and sharing
Jacob the Gnome with us.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Well, it's a pleasure to meet with you, dori.
Finally, I know, yes, see youin person.
I mean not really in person,but see you, it's very, you know
it's wonderful.
Yes, yes, this has been, butsee you, it's very, you know
it's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yes, yes, this has been fun, thank you.
Thank you to you too.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.
That's fxbgneighborsPodcast.
com, or call 540-534-4618.
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