Some books arrive as an idea that slowly grows. Others arrive already carrying a strong voice. Dear Prophet Muhammad- A Letter To The Beloved began with a manuscript from our writer, Jenny Molendyk, that was already complete in spirit and structure. The text was long, but for an important reason: it carried the weight of many events that needed to remain present in order to tell the story with care and clarity. Rather than shortening it, we chose to focus on editorial refinement keeping the length intact while shaping the flow through careful editing.

Because the book was written in the form of a letter, the design direction became clear early on. I wanted the reading experience to feel like a child had written and illustrated it a personal, intimate format rather than a distant historical narrative. This decision shaped every visual and editorial choice that followed.

Working on a book about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always requires a thoughtful visual strategy. Since we cannot show him directly, the challenge was to avoid repetitive scenes while still conveying movement, emotion, and narrative continuity. This pushed us to think through every spread in advance. Before illustration even began, we mapped the scenes carefully, asking how atmosphere, objects, and surrounding characters could carry meaning without relying on direct representation.

After completing the editorial work and dividing the manuscript into spreads, I began researching illustrators whose practice could support this approach. Rumeysa Abişs was one of the artists we reached out to. Her mixed media and collage-based practice felt especially aligned with the project. She shared an initial character study inspired by the child narrator in the book, and that was the moment everything began to fall into place.

The early sketches were not detailed in a traditional sense, because the real strength of the visuals came from the materials themselves layered papers, fabrics, textures, and found elements. The writer also contributed gentle narrative guidance along the way, suggesting that certain qualities such as courage could be expressed through the child character rather than through direct imagery. This collaborative exchange between text and image allowed the project to develop organically.

The illustration process became a tactile exploration. Different types of paper, textile pieces, and handmade collage elements were assembled physically before being scanned and brought into a digital workflow. After scanning, Rumeysa revisited the artwork digitally, refining layers and balancing composition while preserving the handmade feeling. Typography presented another challenge. At first, we experimented with the illustrator’s own handwriting and with several font options, but none of them captured the authenticity I was searching for. Since the book takes the form of a letter, I wanted the text to feel as if it had come directly from a child’s hand something imperfect yet warm and believable. Eventually, I reached out to another artist, Zeynep Tuğçe Noyan, to create a custom handwritten sample. We tested a section of the text digitally, and suddenly the tone felt right: readable, intimate, and full of character.

Using handwriting, however, meant that revisions became more complex. With a standard font, small changes are easy; with handwritten text integrated into the page design, every adjustment requires careful coordination. The manuscript had to be fully finalized before placement, and each spread needed to be treated almost like a finished artwork rather than a flexible layout. It slowed the process, but it also gave the book a unique integrity.

Looking back, Dear Prophet Muhammad- A Letter To The Beloved became one of the projects that shaped us as much as we shaped it. The process demanded patience, deep collaboration, and a willingness to rethink familiar publishing routines. It was challenging at times, but also deeply rewarding a project built through many hands, many materials, and many conversations.

In the end, it stands as one of our most meaningful works: a book that grew from careful intention, collective effort, and a desire to create something both respectful and visually alive.

Written by Feride Kurtulmuş — Managing Editor of Children's Books