Are you as excited for Disney’s live-action Mulan as we are? Were you a little disappointed by its four-month theatrical release delay (currently as July 24)? Join the club.

Well, the good news is that there are a few excellent Mulan books to help you pass the time and ramp up that excitement a bit more. One of those is the excellent Mulan: Before the Sword by Grace Lin. Set just before the events of the film, the book could be considered a “prequel”:

When her sister is bitten by a poisonous spider, Mulan does everything she can to help, including seeking out a renowned healer. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to both the mysterious spider bite and the healer than meets the eye. On a quest with the Jade Rabbit of legend, Mulan visits extraordinary places, meets Immortals, and faces incredible obstacles while searching for an antidote. And the danger only rises when Mulan learns of a prophecy foretelling that a mem­ber of the Hua family will one day save the Emperor.

Grace Lin is certainly no stranger to the world of YA and children’s literature. She’s one of the few who has been awarded both the Newbery (for 2010’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon) and the Caldecott (for 2019’s A Big Mooncake for Little Star). And she brings her A game to Mulan’s story.

We sat down with Lin to chat about the new book, her art, her inspiration, and putting her own spin on the legend of Hua Mulan.

Roarbots: The legend of Hua Mulan is such a well-known piece of Chinese culture and folklore. When you were writing Mulan: Before the Sword, how did you walk the line between portraying Mulan the legendary figure and Mulan the Disney character?

Grace Lin: It wasn’t as difficult as you might think. A number of my other books – Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Starry River of the Sky, and When the Sea Turned to Silver – straddle that line between folklore and modern storytelling. It’s something I quite enjoy doing! To me, Disney’s new movie is one unique exploration of the Mulan story, so I used it as a framework for the story I wanted to tell.

Roarbots: What was your goal with this book? What did you want to achieve?

Lin: My main goal was to write a thrilling story that readers would love and want to read again and again – one that I would’ve loved as a child. Of course, I admit, interwoven in that goal was a hope that it would also cause an appreciation of Chinese culture and female characters.

Roarbots: As a Chinese American, what are your feelings about classic animated Mulan’s position as a Disney Princess?

Lin: Honestly, I’m glad she’s there. When I was younger and in the “princess” stage of my childhood, I so longed to see an Asian princess in the Disney lineup. So with Mulan there, I know there are thousands of Asian girls having that wish fulfilled. Of course, at the same time, Mulan is a little different. Mulan isn’t a princess per se; she’s a warrior and true heroine.

Roarbots: Did you have a chance to see the new live-action Mulan when it premiered? What are you most anxious to see in the film?

Lin: I have not seen the film yet, but I am so anxious to see Gong Li as the witch! I hope I did her character justice in my book!

Roarbots: Something I think a lot of people might not realize is that you’re an illustrator in addition to a writer, and you actually painted the cover for Before the Sword. Which was more stressful for you: getting the story right or getting the cover right?

Lin: They’re both stressful, but the writing took longer.

Roarbots: I think it’s probably not a coincidence that the cover image of Before the Sword is quite similar to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Can you talk about the inspiration and origin for both?

Lin: As I said earlier, many of my books interweave Chinese folktales with modern storytelling so I tried to do that visually as well. My art is my own contemporary, Asian American interpretation of Chinese folk art. I use the same bright opaque colors and constant patterning you see in Chinese peasant art but with my own twist!

Roarbots: How are you keeping busy in this time of social distancing?

Lin: Well, I’m pretty busy! We’re homeschooling our child, and I, in my anxiety-fueled need to do something, also created some new projects for myself. I post videos of book readings and drawing demos on my Youtube channel every Tuesday and Thursday, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I release episodes of my Kids Ask Authors podcast. And I’m trying to make new books, too!

Roarbots: Tell everyone why your Kids Ask Authors podcast is so awesome and why they should hit Subscribe.

Lin: I’m so proud of the podcast. It’s something I’ve been thinking of for a long time, and it was in the works way before the pandemic hit. There’s a real need for podcasts for kids, and I think this is a fun way for kids to connect with the authors of the books they love. Also, most episodes end with a kid book review, so we get to hear from the kids themselves as well as a way for them to feel a part of it.

Roarbots: I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the pandemic is testing humanity as a whole right now. What lesson do you hope everyone learns as a result of all this?

Lin: I hope we never undervalue teachers or the grocery clerk or the janitors or the mail people after this. I hope we realize that art is important, that without our movies, our books, our images, we could not make it through this time – and that we value the creators of that art. I hope people realize that no matter how we try to fight it or how scared it makes us, we’re all connected and we start working together in positive ways to make all of us better.

Mulan: Before the Sword is available now from Grace Lin and Disney Press.