By Cal State Long Beach alumni Sara Desmet, Kevin Tong, Mai S. Kemble and Joshua Kemble will take part in the Kaleidoscope Festival this Saturday to promote and sign copies of their published works. Their booth will be in the children’s section, and in addition the four will also be handing out stickers and coloring books to kids.
Desmet, Tong and Mai S. Kemble are authors of their own children’s books, while Joshua Kemble is a self-published comic book artist.
Desmet graduated from CSULB in fall 2007 with a master’s degree in studio design. She is the author of the children’s book “Scared Silly,” which follows the story of an opossum, pig and anteater and their nighttime adventures. However, when the opossum can’t stop playing tricks and scaring the others, he learns a lesson about what it takes to keep your friends.
“I was inspired by the opossums living right outside my dorm on campus,” Desmet said. “They were eerie and wonderful at the same time.”
Desmet wrote and illustrated the book as a graduate student during spring 2006, and was awarded a book contract shortly after submitting her work to a new San Diego-based publisher Red Cygnet Press, which specializes in finding talented college student artists and illustrators.
Tong graduated from CSULB in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in illustration. Upon graduation, Tong spent three years as a freelance illustrator for numerous companies, and was also published by Red Cygnet Press. Tong is currently a full-time illustrator for a toy company in Malibu.
His children’s book, “The Earth Machine,” was published in 2007. The book is about a young boy anticipating the morning his father will show him what he does for work. The boy’s imagination holds no boundaries when he discovers that his father is the engineer of the world, and is responsible for everything from blowing the wind to raising the sun.
“The book is largely inspired by my childhood, growing up and believing that my father was superhuman in terms of strength, ability and knowledge,” Tong said.
Mai S. Kemble also graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in illustration. Her book, “The Moon and the Night Sweeper,” is about a boy who climbs to the roof of his house to sweep stardust with the nighttime caretaker, the Night Sweeper. Filled with watercolor and rhymes, Mai S. Kemble said “Night Sweeper” draws on images of mystery and wonder.
“I wanted to make a story that was fantastical and musical,” she said. “I thought of a special time in the night when magic influenced the world,” adding that she drew her inspiration from the story “The Night Before Christmas.”
Joshua Kemble is the comic book artist and author of “Numb.” Kemble was awarded the $5,000 Xeric Foundation Grant to start his comic last year, and graduated from CSULB with a master’s degree in illustration.
“Numb” is about a young author named Seymour struggling with writer’s block, but finds inspiration by delving into memories of his ex-girlfriend. The writer soon discovers that the inspiration from his old flame may be more trouble than it’s worth.
Joshua Kemble is currently working on “Numb,” with another graphic novel, “Jacob’s Apartment,” that will be released in 2009.
In addition to the signing, Joshua Kemble will be available to take a look at students’ portfolios.
All four illustrators and authors will be also signing copies of their works.
