Spiridon Vangheli (14 June 1932 – 21 June 2024) was a Moldovan writer of children's books, poet, and translator.

Vangheli was born in Grinăuţi, Romania on 14 June 1932.^[1] He graduated from Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University in 1955, and after various jobs in schools, including as math professor, he joined the Moldovan Writers' Union and became a consulting editor.

His publishing debut was in 1962, with a book for children titled In the Land of Butterflies.

His books have been translated into 40 languages.^[2]

Vangheli died in Chișinău on 21 June 2024, at the age of 92.^[3]

His most characteristic work is a series of children's books about the adventures of Guguță,^[4] a boy who received from his father a large traditional lamb skin hat that became an inseparable attribute.^[5] In the story, Guguţă invites his classmates and the entire village to snuggle under the hat, protecting everyone from the winter cold. As more people join, the hat grows bigger, becoming a metaphor of growing generosity. The books about Guguţă became popular and the personage became a national symbol.

• 1964, Chișinău, The Little Boy in the Blue Hut
• 1967, București, The Adventures of Guguță
• 1970, Chișinău, Abecedarul, in collaboration with Grigore Vieru and painter Igor Vieru
• 1979, Chișinău, Guguță—Captain of the Ship
• 1981, Chișinău, The Horse With Blue Eyes
• 2001, Chișinău, Children In the Handcuffs of Siberia

• Spiridon Vangheli discography at Discogs