Chelle Thorpe

About the Author

When reading books to children in a nearby park, Author Rochelle O’Neal Thorpe met a Nanny from Somalia who admired her stories.  After a brief conversation she discovered this young womangraduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School with her eldest son.  Rochelle later learned about her struggles adjusting to life in America after leaving her war-torn country.  Being inspired by this young woman Rochelle decided to write a story especially for her and other children from this region of the world.

Rochelle has a Master of Arts degree from Emerson College, School of Communications and a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Isenberg School of Management.  She also minored in Chinese Language and Literature.  She has studied Japanese at Harvard Extension School and Showa Boston.  She is conversant in Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.

Catalog of Works; Captain Remarkable (2004), Gabe and the Park (2006), Gabe and the Bike (2006), The Doll at the Christmas Bazaar(2008), The Tales of Teacups (2010), The Tales of Cranes, (2010)Gabe’s Nantucket Adventure: Daffodil Dogs and Cars (2010), Gabe and Storybooks (2010), Dragon Valentine (2012), Dolly’s Winter Surprise (2011), My Uncle the Porter, Snowman in Central Park (2011), and Aisha’s Gift (2012). 

She hopes all her works will be enjoyed by children around the world.

About the Artist

Artist Anna Leliwa has created the beautiful illustrations for Aisha’s Gift and Dolly’s Winter Surprise.  

In 2000, Anna graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw with Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the Department of Fine Art Restoration. As a Conservator of Fine Art, Anna gained her experiences while working with different painting techniques such as oil painting, acrylic, pastel and watercolor. This knowledge and skills help her to create illustrations which could be easily "read" by children.

Making the illustrations for children's book is like retelling the story. Anna love to focus on all backstage details and characters. She is finding herself really connected to the characters she illustrates.

Anna now lives in Boston and is happily married to Charles and a mother to a Helenka.