BibliothecaMundi book club & society

AYSUN ALTINDAĞ

Graduated from Istanbul Technical University, Industrial Design department, Aysun Altındağ has an MA from the same major. After working several years as a product designer at her own office, she decided to be an illustrator. She always loved to draw, and her passion became her occupation. Since 2017 she has been illustrating and writing children's books for several publishers and writers.

Childrens books as author and illustrator:

Hayal Bulutu Nimbus; Ayrıntı Yayınları Dinozor Çocuk 2017

Tavuk, Mini Hikayeler 1; Masalperest Yayınları 2020

Çiftçi,Mini Hikayeler2; Masalperest Yayınları 2020

Dağ,Mini Hikayeler3; Masalperest Yayınları 2020

Childrens books as Illustrator:

Andersen Masalları; Ayrıntı Yayınları Dinozor Çocuk 2017

Grimm Masalları; Ayrıntı Yayınları Dinozor Çocuk 2017

Felsefe Makinesi; Paraşüt Kitap 2019

Osman Hamdi Bey'in Hazinesi, İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri; Final Kültür Sanat Yayınları 2021

Bebeğimle Okuyorum, Merhaba Dünya (0-3 ay); Masalperest Yayınları 2021

Bebeğimle Okuyorum, Alışıyorum (3-6 ay); Masalperest Yayınları 2021

Bebeğimle Okuyorum, Keşfediyorum (6-9 ay); Masalperest Yayınları 2021

Bebeğimle Okuyorum, Büyüyorum (9-12 ay); Masalperest Yayınları 2021

Dünya'yı Çöpe Atma, Gezegenimiz ve Biz; Final Kültür Sanat Yayınları 2021

ERSİN ÖZTÜRK

Graduate of Hacettepe University English Linguistics. He works as an ESL / IB literature teacher and freelance translator. He is specialized in copy-editing, transcription, and various international translation projects as well as quality assurance in translation projects.

ABOUT |

Stories, Dreams and Books…

The Storyteller Lady used to start her tale by saying “Once upon a time…” Wouldn’t be lacking her eyeliner in her eyes and her red lipstick on her lips. She used to wear a black dress all the time…

DİLEK ÇINGI
The Storyteller Lady would sit right in the middle of us children. She used to start telling the story of that day. Her eyes would get bigger and bigger, and her lips would change from one shape into another. Her voice would sometimes raise, sometimes drop, sometimes get thicker, and sometimes get thinner. Her hands would always move. Basilisk, The Genie coming out of Aladdin’s lamp, The Cyclope, Salur Kazan, Hacivat and Karagöz, The Bald Boy, Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves, The Goblins, The Zombies, The Wednesday Witch, The Kallikantzaros, Sinbad The Sailor, The Phoenix, The Hudhud, Alexander who ruled the elephants, Layla and Majnun, Asli and Karam, Dede Korkut, The Little Match Girl, The Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and The Seven Dwarves... All these heroes and more were in her stories.
While listening to her, I would go to a magical world. I would envision the events and characters that took place there in front of my eyes. The piper would play his reedpipe cheerfully, the mice followed him into the village...
After starting primary school, I learned that the magical world and the rest had already existed in the fairy tales, stories, novels, encyclopaedias, and magazines.
The Storyteller Lady opened a door that led me to the world of books. I went through that door as well.
In a way, I believe that the seed of curiosity was sowed in my head as I was listening to her stories in the past.

Please click for more about Dilek ÇINGI and her books on Amazon.

VALENTINA LUPERTO - Val’idea

She’s a dreamer living in Milan, Italy. Since she’s very sensitive about nature, animal rights and human wellbeing, she’s focused her art mostly on creating awareness about how we, human beings are destructive on mother earth.

Therefore, she has started Val’idea to share her feelings and concerns. Val’idea is consisted of different creative collections.
After becoming a mum, she is now more into in children’s book illustrations, because she feels there are so many dreams, so different worlds to share with those bright minds.
Other than Val’idea and making illustrations, she’s a painter (oil on canvas/ acrylic/ charcoal), an animator, a web designer, a content creator and 15 years experienced brand management professional.

Please click here to see her works on Val’idea.

YİĞİT ERTAN

He was born in Istanbul. He graduated from Eskisehir Anatolian University Cartoon Animation Department. He specialized in visual software such as Photoshop and TV, Paint. He works as a freelance graphic designer and animator. He is currently working on improving his skills in graphic novels, cartoons, storyboards, game design, illustration, concept, and character design. Making music and games are his hobbies.

BOOKS |

Bibliotheca Mundi is a platform designed to share our childhood dreams, memories, fun times by the special bounds we create through books. Here you can travel to many different magical places. The limit is your imagination…. Just click on the book cover for further info and shopping.

The Blacksmith: A Hacivat & Karagoz Adventure

The Adventurer Duck and The Patchy Hedgehog

The Adventurer Duck and The Traveller Tortoise

| Bibliotheca MUNDI books

BEHIND THE SCENES |

Sometimes an image, sometimes an event, sometimes a dream, sometimes a wish, sometimes a voice from our childhood, sometimes the answer to the question “What would it be like if it was different?”…

Each of these inspired a different story…

And here we share, here we feel, here we learn empathy and grow up.

A Frog Adventure

While writing

The boy caught a frog in the stream. He tied a string to the frog’s leg. He took the frog wherever he went. He undertook its care and feeding...

I found the way a frog being turned into a pet by a child quite surprising and creative.

When I started to imagine the state of a frog with a string tied to its leg, the hero of A Frog Adventure Frodi came about. After that, the other characters and the rest of the story followed.

A Mediterranean Monk Seal, Almond

While writing

Nature's Unique Dynamics….

"They made and put a sculpture of the mediterannean seal Badem in Datca…" This sentence was the starting point of the story.

Why did they call her Almond? Why did they sculpt this seal? Why wasn't I aware of the existence of this famous seal?

Then I started doing my research. I found articles and news stories written about her in the newspapers. They had taken many photos of her.

As a matter of fact, we both did her good as well as harm that time.

Every being has its own habitat. Taking a being out of its habitat upsets the natural balance not only theirs but also ours. The experience we had with Almond the Seal showed that to us one more time.

Nature has its own dynamics.

And this dynamic is way beyond our intervention...

While drawing

I researched news about Almond the Seal. I chose colours that evoke Foca and Datca for visual support. I also used the visuals of Datca square and the marina. Each time the story was being told, I included Ege and his grandfather in the scene.

Tortoises and The Man

While writing

The Tortoise Trainer is one of Mr. Osman Hamdi famous paintings. So who was Mr. Osman Hamdi? He is an archaeologist, museologist, educator, and a painter. He lived within the borders of the Ottoman Empire between 1842 and 1910.

One day, when I was browsing through the children’s books in a bookshop, I came across a book written about him. That moment, I asked myself “What kind of book would I write about him for children?” I bought that book and took it home and read it. After that, I collected books and articles written about Mr. Osman Hamdi.

For almost more than a year, I could not decide what and how to write. There had been many things written about his archaeological studies, his contribution to museology in the country, his teaching, and paintings.

The Tortoise Trainer was his work that most impressed me.

In the end, I decided to focus on that painting. I learned that what might have inspired him was an article he read in a journal published in French. Besides, the original name of this painting was The Tortoises and The Man. Later the name of the work was changed.

Just in the days when I gave up on this plan, I took a long journey. From the north to the south of Turkey...

I found the answer at the end of the road. All I had to do was look at The Tortoise Trainer painting. I had to change my perspective a little while looking.

This is how the writing process of The Tortoises and The Man story began.

While drawing

I created the main characters by designing a different accessory for each character in the book. I also created a landscape by imagining the woods they live in. The landscape changed as the path moved on. I researched the Green Mosque in Bursa. The thing that challenged me the most was how many minarets the Green mosque had when Mr.Osman Hamdi was alive. For that, I consulted an architect friend of mine. At the same time, I spent time with Mr. Osman Hamdi’s The Tortoise Trainer painting in Pera Museum. I included it in the book by re-drawing it.