About the Authors

Daria and Sergei Alimov are the parents of two sons, aged four and seven. Books, stories, music, and imaginative play have always been an important part of their family life.

Daria is a full-time mother who has been involved in communities supporting pregnant women and families with newborn babies. She also supports women who need help by sharing practical experience, offering emotional encouragement, and passing children's clothes and toys on to other families.

Sergei grew up in a large family and has five nieces and nephews. He spent many evenings reading bedtime stories with them and later continued this tradition with his own children. Together, Daria and Sergei have read hundreds of children's books.

They never planned to become authors. The idea developed naturally through the stories they shared, the games they invented, and the questions their children asked.

Having lived in several countries, Daria and Sergei had the opportunity to discover children's books in different languages and experience storytelling traditions from different cultures. This helped shape their approach to creating stories that feel playful, warm, and accessible to children from different backgrounds.

Their children are now part of the creative process, helping them explore new characters, test ideas, and record music.

While developing the world of Planet Papaya, Daria and Sergei shared their characters with children from different countries and communities. They discovered that children often respond to the same things: humour, friendship, adventure, colourful characters, and unexpected situations.

Through Planet Papaya, they hope to create stories, music, and characters that encourage curiosity, imagination, and joyful moments shared between children and their families.