Hello, I'm Andreas Gugganig.
I'm 42 years old, live with my family in Austria, and above all, I'm a father.
Together with my wonderful wife Melanie and our son Noah, I get to experience every day how children discover the world – full of curiosity, imagination, and countless questions. It was precisely from these shared moments that the WUMI world was born.
WUMI didn't begin as a business idea or a book project. It all started with a small cuddly toy named WUSCHL, which accompanied my son every day. Bedtime stories turned into new adventures, drawings became characters, and eventually, an entire world full of friendship, imagination, and shared experiences developed.
Today, WUMI is a little raccoon for many children. For me, WUMI is a reminder of how something big can grow from a small shared moment.
My Journey
My professional journey has taken me far beyond Austria.
I had the privilege of living in the United Arab Emirates for several years, where I trained and accompanied emergency personnel at fire stations. This period profoundly shaped me.
Words often weren't enough. Different languages and cultures made communication difficult. So we resorted to what everyone understands: a pen, a piece of paper, or simply a stick in the desert sand.
A simple drawing could often explain more than many spoken words.
It was there that I realized the power of images. They connect people, overcome language barriers, and make even complex concepts understandable.
This experience has stayed with me to this day and forms an important cornerstone of the WUMI world.
What's important to me
After my time abroad, my career path led me back to Austria, where I worked for many years in technical customer service and had the opportunity to lead teams of varying sizes.
I learned that successful collaboration depends not only on expertise.
It arises from shared values.
I want to live these values not only in my work but also pass them on to my son and all the children who are part of the WUMI family.
I want to live these values not only in my profession but also instill them in my son and all the children who are part of the WUMI family.
What's important to me
I want to live these values not only in my work but also instill them in my son and all the children who are part of the WUMI family.
...
❤️ Appreciation
🤝 Friendship
🌱 Solidarity
💬 Honesty
🌍 Respect
🌟 Courage
📚 Curiosity
😊 Helpfulness
Mistakes are part of learning.
I don't believe in perfection.
Children don't have to be perfect.
And neither do adults.
We all make mistakes. What's important isn't that everything always works out, but that we're willing to learn from them, take responsibility, and do better next time.
This very attitude is reflected in the WUMI stories. The friends experience challenges, sometimes make wrong decisions, help each other, and grow together.
Because learning doesn't mean never making mistakes.
Learning means having the courage to get up again and keep going.
Why the WUMI world exists:
I'm not an educator.
... I'm not an illustrator who's spent his whole life drawing books.
I'm simply a father who wanted to tell his son stories.
From these stories, a world emerged that is meant to accompany families today—through reading aloud, drawing, learning, and discovering together.
My wish is to create books that not only entertain but also empower children, foster their imagination, and give families precious time together.
Because the most beautiful memories aren't just made through stories.
They're made in the moments we experience them together. 🌳✨