By the time I began working on Once Upon Five Tales, I had already written and self-published four illustrated short stories, or children’s books, depending on how they’re read. My husband suggested turning them into a single collection for readers who might want to read all the stories at once. It would make things simpler and more accessible, without requiring people to buy each book separately. I thought it was a practical and thoughtful idea.
At first, the plan was to include only the four existing stories. But four felt unfinished to me. Five felt more complete. So instead of leaving it as it was, I decided to write one additional story and turn the project into a short story collection. That choice shaped the final form of Once Upon Five Tales.
The fifth story, which works as a kind of bonus, is called Zoom Zoom Zolly. It’s about a sheep who is always in a rush. Everything she does feels urgent, and she rarely slows down. The story focuses on patience and what happens when someone learns to pause. The idea was inspired by my travels to Korea. I noticed the strong “ppal-li ppal-li” culture (which means "hurry hurry"), where speed and urgency are part of everyday life, and that observation became the starting point for Zolly’s character.
In the end, Zoom Zoom Zolly turned out to be my husband’s favorite story in the collection. I hope readers who pick up the book enjoy having all five stories collected in one place.