As Y4ID, we place special importance on creative work that nurtures the imagination of children and young people while staying connected to cultural roots.
The book The Child of the Prophecy by our Content Contributor and children’s book author Sibel Kırcadere is a strong example of this perspective.
The text below reflects the Y4ID President’s evaluation of the book.

At the moment when time stood still, stars suddenly went dark, and purple bubbles rose from the roots of an old beech tree, the fate of not only the unborn Suzan but also two different worlds changed forever. The Child of the Prophecy, written by Sibel Kircadere, takes the reader beyond familiar young adult patterns and invites them on an epic journey rooted in Anatolian and Central Asian mythological heritage. Every step Suzan takes into Ortokoy — the place from her mother’s tales, which she reaches by leaving behind the world we live in and calls “Hell” — is, in fact, a search for a lost sense of belonging.

Suzan’s story begins when an unknown illness threatens both worlds. The Shamans, the Misvalar, and the ancient Yada Stone, which she had long believed to be nothing more than fairy-tale characters, suddenly become part of Suzan’s struggle to survive and to save her family, as she tries to understand who she really is.

Rather than using ancient mythological elements as simple decoration, Kircadere places them at the very heart of the story. As Suzan, the pale-haired stranger of Ortokoy, moves deeper into the Forbidden Forest to both save her family and complete the mysterious prophecy, the reader follows the traces of ancient symbols alongside her. Another feature that makes the physical world of the book unique is that both its cover and interior illustrations were created with artificial intelligence support, making it the first book of its kind in Türkiye. This digital aesthetic transforms Ortokoy’s enchanting and dream-like atmosphere into something almost tangible.

The Child of the Prophecy reminds us that courage is not only about carrying a sword, but about the pure determination to find where you truly belong. This journey, in which fairy tales turn into reality and children become heroes, continues to live in the reader’s mind long after the final page is turned.

As Y4ID, we continue to make high-quality literary and artistic works for children and young people more visible, to support the creative work of our volunteers, and to strengthen cultural diversity.

Serdar Mentesh
President, Youth for Innovative Development (Y4ID)