The Author

Lucy grew up an active member of the Armenian community and wanted to find a way to preserve the Armenian culture and language for future generations.  This led her to create this series of books which take the traditional Armenian nursery rhymes and make them accessible to all skill levels. Whether you speak, understand or read Armenian or not, whether you are Armenian or honorary Armenian, you can enjoy these books! 

The Illustrator

Agavny is an Armenian American artist based in Los Angeles who also works in the animation industry. Aside from illustration, she has worked on prop design for HBO Max as well as character designs and has her own Etsy shop (agavnythepigeon). Her talents encompass a wide genre of work, and where she can, she tries to incorporate connections of her culture and stories through her illustration and design.

A Note From the Author:

The Why

The memories of these little rhymes are etched in my mind - times of my grandmother singing them to me, and my parents and me reciting them for my own kids. Watching the joy on my children’s faces as the rhymes were sung to them, and the interaction between generations - the giggles and smiles, the bonding - I had to preserve and make that accessible somehow. As my children grow and the rhymes are no longer told (at least not until the next generation), will these rhymes be remembered? Will they be passed down? Will my kids remember them if I am not around?

Recently, UNESCO declared Western Armenian as an endangered language, making it even more compelling for me to figure out the how!

The How

It all started with an idea! It was a process - a journey that started over 13 years ago when I translated books off the cuff for my son.  Traditional Armenian books were off the table for me since I do not read or write Armenian very well. So, I made up my own words for the books we had around the house. I brainstormed ideas for books and scribbled them down on paper, but nothing happened - it was all so overwhelming - so many steps, so many unknowns. Where would I even start?  It literally stopped me in my tracks for years, but it was always on my mind.  Eventually, the thoughts were just too compelling and I began taking baby steps to get closer to my dream.  Eventually, the pieces started coming together, though I couldn’t have done it without my amazing illustrator Agavny and the support of my family and friends! Looking forward to continuing our work together!