▶ Introduction
The japsang figures living on the palace roof sometimes head to The Shadow Club, a downtown hotspot, at night to perform their high-spirited music, becoming the club’s star attraction. As their fame grows, they receive a tempting business offer that’s hard to resist. Should they continue their duty of guarding the palace, or chase after wealth and fame? At this crossroads, the japsang friends find themselves torn.
The Rooftop Revelers (궁궐 지붕에서 내려온 잡상 친구들) is a creative English children’s story set in Korea, co-authored by American moms Debbi Kent and Joan Suwalsky, who adopted Korean-born children, and American children’s author MaryJo P. Glover. It is the second work in their series, following their 2019 release, I Bite the Bad Guys: A Korean Tiger Story.
To introduce Korean culture to English-speaking children, they formed Ginkgo Tree Tales, a storytelling group dedicated to creating and publishing English children’s stories set in Korea, with plans to continue expanding this series.
Additionally, in 2014, Kent and Suwalsky, captivated by Korean handicrafts, published 100 Thimbles in a Box: The Spirit and Beauty of Korean Handicrafts, an English book that showcases the essence and beauty of Korean craftsmanship.

▶ About the Authors and Illustrator
The authors’ connection to Korea goes back more than 35 years. Debbi Kent and Joan Suwalsky are adoptive mothers of Korean-born children. Taking a keen interest in learning about the culture, they read everything they could and made repeated trips to Korea, developing a deep affection for “The Land of the Morning Calm.”  They have made it their mission to share their love of Korean culture with not only their own children, but with English-speaking audiences around the world.  With good friend and writer MaryJo Glover, they published their first children’s book, I Bite the Bad Guys – A Tale of the Korean Tiger, in 2019.
MARYJO P. GLOVER, a retired speech language pathologist, lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She is a member of the Rt. 19 Writers Group and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
DEBBI KENT, from Great Falls, Virginia, has had a varied career as an editor, public speaker, designer and photographer.
JOAN SUWALSKY, a retired child development research scientist, lives in Frederick, Maryland.
Debbi and Joan are authors of the comprehensive, beautifully illustrated book, 100 Thimbles in a Box: The Spirit and Beauty of Korean Handicrafts, published in 2014 by Seoul Selection.  (www.100thimbles.com).
LEE YULEUI lives in Seoul and has been working in marketing, public relations, and the food and beverage industry for over 15 years. She joined the Ginkgo Tree Tales team in 2016 as a translator and coordinator, but today wears many hats as she helps navigate the publishing journey in two different countries.
LEE SANGIN was born and raised in Seoul. He is a passionate illustrator whose mission is to ignite the dreams of children and spark their imaginations through his drawings. It is his hope that his artwork will bring joy and inspiration to young people around the world.
The authors are available for interviews, book talks and signings, and story time with craft projects for children.
Contact them at ginkgotreetales@gmail.com. Visit their website at www.ginkgotreetales.com

Will five Korean japsang remain true to their ancient calling as protectors of the royal
palace, or will they give it all up for a life of fame and fortune? Occasionally the japsang friends take a night off from their duties and make their way across the rooftops of Seoul to the Shadow Club, where as the Rooftop Revelers they wow the crowd with their unique brand of music, always keeping their true identities a closely guarded secret. Then one night they are offered a very modern deal of a lifetime. How will they ever decide? And can they all agree?
From the authors of “I Bite the Bad Guys: A Tale of the Korean Tiger” comes this hilarious 52-page tale of fun, friendship, adventure, and responsibility. Wildly colorful illustrations chock full of details give readers a lot to discover as they follow the japsang through the
streets of Seoul. But the excitement really starts when The Rooftop Revelers take the stage at the Shadow Club. Who knew traditional Korean instruments could sound like that!?

The japsang figures living on the palace roof sometimes head to The Shadow Club, a downtown hotspot, at night to perform their high-spirited music, becoming the club’s star attraction. As their fame grows, they receive a tempting business offer that’s hard to resist. Should they continue their duty of guarding the palace, or chase after wealth and fame? At this crossroads, the japsang friends find themselves torn.
The Rooftop Revelers (궁궐 지붕에서 내려온 잡상 친구들) is a creative English children’s story set in Korea, co-authored by American moms Debbi Kent and Joan Suwalsky, who adopted Korean-born children, and American children’s author MaryJo P. Glover. It is the second work in their series, following their 2019 release, I Bite the Bad Guys: A Korean Tiger Story.
To introduce Korean culture to English-speaking children, they formed Ginkgo Tree Tales, a storytelling group dedicated to creating and publishing English children’s stories set in Korea, with plans to continue expanding this series.
Additionally, in 2014, Kent and Suwalsky, captivated by Korean handicrafts, published 100 Thimbles in a Box: The Spirit and Beauty of Korean Handicrafts, an English book that showcases the essence and beauty of Korean craftsmanship.