Behiç Ak

He was born in Samsun and studied architecture in Yıldız University and  İstanbul Technical University. He’s a well-known cartoonist, author, illustrator and documentary film director. He illustrates daily cartoons for the Cumhuriyet Newspaper since 1982. His cartoons were exhibited in several countries like Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. Besides his plays Separation (Ayrılık) and Building (Bina), his two plays named Fault Line (Fay Hattı) and City for One (Tek Kişilik Şehir) were staged in Europe and attracted big interest. The documentary film he produced and directed in 1994, named The History of Censorship in Turkish Cinema – Black Screen (Türk Sinemasında Sansürün Tarihi – Siyahperde) won the “Best Documentary Film” award in the same year at Ankara Film Festival. After 1981, Behiç Ak was about to concentrate himself deeply on his children’s books that he was writing and illustrating at the same time. He gathered lots of attention from readers of all ages with his series “Cheerful Stories” based on social critism. The award-winning colourful picture book The Plain Tree with High Blood Pressure (Yüksek Tansiyonlu Çınar Ağacı, 2009), which was first published in Japan, renewed by Günışığı Kitaplığı with an authentic design and translated into Chinese in 2014. The other picture books of him, Marbles (Bilyeler, 2014) and The Cloud that Came Indoors (Gökdelene Giren Bulut, 2017) were also renewed by Günışığı Kitaplığı. Continuing to write for his “Chubby Books” series which is an introduction to philosophy for very young readers and which covers books like How Long is My Hand? (Benim Bir Karışım, 2013), Chubby Doesn’t Want to Join the Masquerade (Tombiş Maskeli Baloya Katılmak İstemiyor, 2018). Caricatures selected from his archive of 40 years were collected  in The Book of Cartoons (Karikatür Kitabı, 2012) and Hooray for Kids! (Yaşasın Çocuklar!, 2021). His children’s novel Hurray for the Brotherhood of Ç! (Yaşasın Ç Harfi Kardeşliği, 2013) received IBBY Turkey’s “Children’s Novel of the Year” award in 2013 and “2014 Children and Young Adult’s Novel” award of Ankara University, Children and YA Books Research Centre. His latest children’s novel is The 6.44 pm Wave (6.44 Dalgası, 2020), which tells the story of an author who becomes the protagonist of his own story. In 2019, Behiç Ak was honored by Ankara – Çankaya Municipality as an important cultural figure of Turkey, with a big exhibition opened in Zülfü Livaneli Cultural Center, covering examples from his works. Ak lives in İstanbul and he’s the 2021 ALMA (Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award) and 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee of IBBY Turkey.

All Books By This Author

New

Karikatür Kitabı 2 – YAŞASIN ÇOCUKLAR!

THE BOOK OF CARTOONS 2 HOORAY FOR KIDS!
Behiç Ak
2nd edition

Altı Kırk Dört Dalgası

THE 6.44pm WAVE
Behiç Ak
3rd edition

Tavşan Dişli Bir Gözlemcinin Notları

NOTES OF A BUCK-TOOTHED OBSERVER
Behiç Ak
6th edition

Her Şeyi Yanlış Anlayan Kedi

The Cat That Misunderstood Everything
Behiç Ak
4th edition

Tombiş Maskeli Baloya Katılmak İstemiyor

Chubby Doesn’t Want to Join the Masquerade
Behiç Ak
12th edition

Bulutlara Şiir Yazan Çocuk

The Child Writing Poems for the Clouds
Behiç Ak
5th edition

Gökdelene Giren Bulut

The Cloud That Came Indoors
Behiç Ak
10th edition

Bebek Annem

Momy Is My Baby
Behiç Ak
18th edition

Çatıdaki Gezegen

The Planet In The Attic
Behiç Ak

“Cheerful Stories” Series

Behiç Ak

“Chubby Books” Series

Chubby Books Series
Behiç Ak
12th edition

Ben Ne Zaman Doğdum?

When Was I Born?
Behiç Ak
14th edition

Eve Giden Küçük Tren

Little Train Goes Home
Behiç Ak
9th edition

Bilyeler

Marbles
Behiç Ak
31st edition

Postayla Gelen Deniz Kabuğu

The Sea Shell That Came by Post
Behiç Ak
14th edition

Bizim Tombiş Fiyonk Makarnayı Çok Seviyor

Chubby Adores Bowtie Pasta
Behiç Ak
38th edition

Yaşasın Ç Harfi Kardeşliği!

Hurray for the Brotherhood of Ç!
Behiç Ak
33rd edition

Akvaryumdaki Tiyatro

Theatre in the Acquarium
Behiç Ak
41st edition

Galata’nın Tembel Martısı

Galata’s Lazy Seagull
Behiç Ak
19th edition

Bizim Tombiş Taştan Hiç Anlamıyor

The Many Ways of a Stone
Behiç Ak
29th edition

Benim Bir Karışım

How Long is My Hand?
Behiç Ak
38th edition

Kedilerin Kaybolma Mevsimi

Cats' Season of Disappearance
Behiç Ak
16th edition

Yüksek Tansiyonlu Çınar Ağacı

The Plane Tree With High Blood Pressure
Behiç Ak
64th edition

Güneşi Bile Tamir Eden Adam

The Man Who Repairs Even The Sun
Behiç Ak
34th edition

Pat Karikatür Okulu

Pat Cartoon School
Behiç Ak
21st edition

Havva ile Kaplumbağa

Havva and the Turtle
Behiç Ak
44th edition

Vapurları Seven Çocuk

The Boy Who Loves Ferries
Behiç Ak
31th edition

Buzdolabındaki Köpek

The Dog in the Fridge
Behiç Ak
23rd edition

Geçmişe Tırmanan Merdiven

The Stairs Leading to the Past
Behiç Ak
11th edition

Karikatür Kitabı 1 – KARİKATÜR KİTABI

The Book of Cartoons
Behiç Ak
29th edition

Alaaddin’in Geveze Su Boruları

Alaaddin's Chattering Water Pipes
Behiç Ak

Rights Sold

38th edition

Kedilerin Kaybolma Mevsimi

Cats' Season of Disappearance
Germany
16th edition

Yüksek Tansiyonlu Çınar Ağacı

The Plane Tree With High Blood Pressure
China
64th edition

Güneşi Bile Tamir Eden Adam

The Man Who Repairs Even The Sun
Germany
29th edition

Alaaddin’in Geveze Su Boruları

Alaaddin's Chattering Water Pipes
Germany,  Ukraine