Children’s author · Educator
Yerevan — Armenia
Hi, I’m
Gayane Aghabalyan.
I write children's books about the real world, its people, its wonders, and its stories that help young readers grow curious, kind, and brave.
01 — About
It started, as the best things do, with a book and a discovery.
In my first year of university, I read my first work of non-fiction, and I was captivated. Real stories, real lessons, connections lighting up in my mind like little sparks. I knew I wanted to write like that. What I didn't know yet was that this wish would one day meet my other great love, children's literature, and that the two would never let go of each other.
I believe in the transformative power of true stories. The real world moves and inspires me constantly, and the more I discover, the more I want to share. I decided to start with children.
02 — Mission
"We make the road by walking." My books are my way of walking.
i.
The real world belongs to children
Children are the most curious people I know. They deserve non-fiction written just for them: real lives, real wonders, real questions, told in a language they can enter and explore.
ii.
Curiosity is how we learn to care
I believe strongly in the power of curiosity and love. That is how we learn, how we grow, and how we come to care for one another. Every book I write hopes to be a small engine of that.
iii.
The real world makes the best stories
I don't invent my stories. I find them. A waiter in Gyumri, a champion athlete, a dancer who speaks with his whole body, 37 women who shaped a country. And the road ahead holds even more: the wonders and questions that make children ask "but why?"
03 — Books
Every book I've written began with something real.
Two series so far. Inclusive Stories, picture books about real people with disabilities living full, joyful, wonderfully ordinary lives. And Armenian Wonderwomen, illustrated portraits of 37 women whose names deserved to be remembered.
Different books, same road.
04 — In the wild
The books belong to their readers now.
There is nothing more terrifying, and nothing more magical, than watching your books lead lives of their own. From classrooms in Armenia to homes in Argentina, New Zealand, Belgium, and Lebanon: moments from readers, teachers, and families with the books in hand.
05 — Essay
Reading matters. What children read matters even more. When a child meets the real world in a book, something quiet and lasting happens: the world gets bigger, and so does their heart.
06 — Press
Selected writing, interviews and features.
07 — Contact
Let’s make something that matters.
For readers, teachers, librarians, publishers, and collaborators.