Jeanette Gil, known to many as “Abuela Gigi,” is an award-winning children’s book author and educator who is redefining how storytelling supports learning, identity, and connection across generations.
Gil, founder of Zun Zun Press, didn’t set out just to write children’s books. She is building something more expansive: a connected literacy ecosystem that treats storytelling as both an art form and a meaningful, research-informed tool for helping children develop identity, resilience, and emotional awareness.
Her debut book, Aloe Vera’s Special Gift, recently earned a Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Award—a national recognition placing it among the best in family-friendly media. Gil, who is also a doctoral candidate in Applied Learning Sciences at the University of Miami, approaches children’s literature through the lens of how people learn and connect.
Drawing from her Cuban heritage and her grandmother’s storytelling tradition, Gil developed The GIGI Method™, a framework designed around four principles: growth, identity, grace, and intention. It’s an approach that transforms culturally grounded children’s books into intentional learning experiences that extend beyond the page.
From Pages to Public Libraries
Gil’s work has expanded beyond the page into community-based literacy programming. She was selected for the Miami-Dade Public Library System Author Series—bringing her storytelling approach to families across South Florida through one of the largest public library systems in the country.
Her book has also been shared through Little Free Libraries across communities nationwide as part of a Reading Across America-style initiative, traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast and creating meaningful access points for literacy along the way.
Inspired by this work, Gil is also establishing her own Little Free Library within her local community, further expanding her commitment to increasing access to books and creating spaces where stories can be shared, discovered, and celebrated.
Within Miami-Dade Public Schools, Gil is building her own literacy initiative, in collaboration with the Little Rascal Foundation, supporting book drives, donations, and community partnerships that expand access to books and reading opportunities for students.
Building for the Next Generation
Over the next few years, Gil plans to release bilingual editions of her work and further develop The GIGI Method™ into a comprehensive framework for educators and caregivers. Her vision includes the creation of learning experiences, workshops, and programs that support not only children, but also the adults guiding their learning and development.
What makes Gil’s approach distinctive is her ability to bridge personal narrative with academic insight. As “Abuela Gigi” to her own grandchildren, she brings lived experience into her work—creating stories that help children understand that what makes them different also makes them extraordinary.
Through Zun Zun Press and her expanding educational partnerships, Gil continues to grow a connected literacy ecosystem—one that blends storytelling with the science of learning to nurture confidence, cultural identity, and lifelong learning across generations.
