My name is Gabriella Aldeman.
A Pacific Ocean Lover | Peanut Butter Indulger | To-do List Follower
Native of Panama City, Panama, I moved to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree at Georgetown University (Go Hoyas!) and have stayed in the Washington, DC area ever since. I now live in Fairfax, VA with my husband, daughter, and son. I visit Panama regularly and embrace the constant transition between my two beautiful languages.
I play with words. I am a translator.
Born and raised in Panama, my first words were Mamá and Papá. Not much later began my bicultural, bilingual upbringing as I attended an English immersion school and traveled regularly to the US (where I learned where to say “soda,” “coke,” or “pop”). Living between Spanish and English, translation seemed an obvious choice. Before realizing this, however, I got degrees in Economics, Psychology, Public Policy, and served as a data analyst for several years in the private sector. I now hold a certificate in translation from UC San Diego and am a member of the American Translators Association and the National Capital Area Translators Association. I translate from English to Spanish and specialize in the fields of Education and Children’s Literature.
I daydream words. I am a picture book author.
I began my writing practice at seven, when all my diary entries began with Hoy me levanté y fui a la escuela… Fast forward many years, I started writing picture books after translating for several authors and joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. To hone my craft, I participate in Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 picture book challenge and am a member of the Children’s Book Guild of Washington DC, the PB Sunrays marketing group, and Las Musas author collective.
Thanks to my agent, Delia Berrigan of Martin Literary Management, my manuscripts now stand a chance to be illustrated and read. My debut picture book, PAULA’S PATCHES, was released in July 2023 by Free Spirit Publishing. And in August 2024, my second picture book, SQUAWK OF SPANISH, will be published by Charlesbridge.
