Hello dear friends. One weekend, between the shelves of a bookshop, I sat at the same table with people of every age, from babies in prams to readers of 90. At the signing days held at D&R Göztepe and D&R İstinye Park I shared the Şifa Köyü book series with my readers. I would like to tell you what stayed in my mind from that day, and a little of what stayed in my heart.

Everyone was around the table

When you hear book signing, you probably picture a quiet table and readers waiting in line. Ours was not like that. At one end of the table were seed trays; at the other end sat broccoli, leeks, cauliflower and red cabbage. While the children dipped vegetables into paint and pressed them onto paper, families turned the pages of the books and book lovers joined the conversation. In the Seed Sowing Workshop we held as part of the event, little hands placed seeds into the soil, and the vegetable painting table became the most colourful corner of the day. Readers had fun and found a small chance to connect with nature.

At both bookshops the turnout was larger than I expected. Some readers arrived with a book already in hand; some met the series for the first time that day. Right next to a pram there was a hand holding a walking stick; they were at the same table, looking at the same page. While signing, I kept asking the children: which vegetable do you think this seed belongs to? The answers were mostly wrong and always cheerful. It was a happy day for book lovers, families and children, and for me too.

Let me also tell you what drew the most attention at the stand: the real heroes of the books. Merve Ana, Burak Baba, Cihan Abla, Erdinç Abi, Remzi Abi and the super vegetables that turned into lovable characters, broccoli, leek, cauliflower and red cabbage. Watching the children’s eyes light up when they found the hero from the book standing in front of them at the stand was very sweet.

What is the Şifa Köyü book series?

For those who do not know it, let me explain briefly. Şifa Köyü is the name of the farm we founded in Şile. The book series tells a year of that farm: it was prepared as a set of 12 books in Turkish and English. All the colourful illustrations in the books are made from the real heroes of the farm; the goats, roosters and dogs in the books are the farm’s companions too. Alongside the series we also have a colouring book that introduces children to the colourful world of vegetables and fruit, and we presented it at this event as well. For families who find it hard to get their children to eat vegetables, we also included vegetable dishes and soup recipes told in a playful way.

The Şifa Köyü book series →

While preparing these books I always had one thought in mind: a healthy future begins with the bond children build with nature. That is why the books were written in a language that is both fun and educational, not only for children but for every age group. I saw this once more at the signing: grandparents looked at the same page as their grandchildren and got to know the vegetable on the page together.

The moment that moved me most

There was one moment at the signing that moved me deeply. One of our readers bought a colouring book for her 90-year-old mother. That was an indescribable feeling for me. When I wrote the books I always imagined children; that day I saw once again that in front of a colourful vegetable and a story, there is no such thing as age.

What working with children gives me

One of the questions I am often asked is this: why do you do so many events for children? My answer is simple. Children are our most precious future. Being able to pass the right things on to them, at the right time and in a kind language, is to me one of the most meaningful things one can do. When I see the way a child looks at the seed in their hand, the laugh that comes out while dipping a broccoli into paint, or a hug given to a hero from the book, I understand this again every single time.

The best part is being able to watch these children grow. There are children who come to show me, weeks later, that the seedling we planted at school has grown. Seeing a child begin to get to know a vegetable with curiosity, and knowing that what stays with them is not just knowledge but a small bond with nature, is a very beautiful feeling. That feeling brings me back to the table every time.

That is why I see the signing days as a continuation of the children’s workshops at schools. The place changes, bookshop shelves take the place of the classroom wall; but the seed tray on the table, the vegetables and the curious eyes are the same. Wherever we are, the work is the same: building a small bridge between a child and nature.

We continue

In the coming days our signing days will continue at various bookshops and schools. My heartfelt thanks to the teams at D&R Göztepe and D&R İstinye Park, to Bab Magazine for covering the day, and to everyone who came to our table. You can find the photographs in the gallery below. I will be waiting for you at the next signing day too; bring your child, your grandchild or the child inside you. Stay with love.

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