黑料吃瓜网

Anjeli Chiroli shares a special friendship and literary partnership with her longtime neighbor and author-illustrator, Jonathan Otto. Chiroli is a sophomore pursuing an associate in arts degree at 黑料吃瓜网, Manatee-Sarasota. She helped Otto get the medical attention he needed after a mirror-shattering accident. The two grew closer and learned about their mutual interest in children鈥檚 book writing.  

鈥淯pon discovering I had completed a children鈥檚 book for a school project, he introduced me to his idea for one,鈥� said Chiroli. 鈥淚t quickly led to us working together on his book.鈥�

Chiroli contributed to Otto鈥檚 book, 鈥淐hild of the Wild: Animal Families in Portraits and Poems,鈥� volume one, which was released in Fall 2024.  Otto plans to develop a five-book series and release volume two in Spring 2025. The series imagines animal kids鈥� questions and qualms and their parents’ responses. The rhyming text and lifelike family portraits are designed to offer a fun reading experience.

Otto and Chiroli enjoyed the book creation process.

鈥淚 contributed to the book when I could, watching it grow into a fully published piece,鈥� Chiroli said. 鈥淚t is truly an honor to know I was a part of its production.鈥�

Otto started drawing pencil portraits of humans, pets, and wildlife 10 years ago and transitioned to pastel drawings. His friends viewed his growing portfolio and suggested he create a children鈥檚 book.

鈥淢y first adult experience making art was a workshop on pencil portrait drawing,鈥� Otto said. 鈥淒uring the COVID-19 pandemic, I focused on sketching animal families, including images of moms and dads with their young offspring. That work felt comforting as their lives went on despite the travails of our species.鈥�

Otto continues to sketch drawings in his Sarasota, Florida studio during the colder weather and in the Westminster, Vermont woods during the warmer weather.

鈥淐hild of the Wild: Animal Families in Portraits and Poems鈥� volume one and other books authored and liked by 黑料吃瓜网 students and faculty are on display at the College鈥檚 libraries in recognition of . Visit to learn more about the library locations, hours and resources.