Erika Bartos - Curriculum Vitae

BIOGRAPHY

I love being close to water: Lake Balaton, the Danube and the Tisza. In Budapest, I love the bridges most. I love animals, especially birds. I enjoy sewing, and even doing needlework. I read a lot and enjoy listening to classical music. I love mathematics, or really anything based on logic. I like drawing, enjoy folk dancing. I am fond of autumn. I am punctual; I don’t like being late. Mess does not bother me. I like to get by on my own. I have never asked for or accepted state support or sponsorship; I stretch my arm no further than my sleeve will reach. I am happy that I can be the one supporting others instead.

As a child, I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher; I imagined that I would always be surrounded by children, because that is good. A small child is the best teacher; they keep your spirit young and cheerful. The infant is the wonder of the universe. 

My journey as a storyteller owes everything to the Readers. I can never be grateful enough for the unceasing love with which families with small children have surrounded my works since the beginning of my career. Their kind feedback gives meaning to my work time and time again. I have never had a marketing agent, I have never sought advertising opportunities, I don’t even use social media; I am not present on any social platform. I was given the finest marketing: Readers spread the word to one another about the value of my books by word of mouth. I am incredibly grateful for that.

Since the early 2000s I have been steadfastly striving to serve a good cause, to offer a loving anchor to the very young; I hope that my work finds attentive ears and loving hearts. The drawing desk and the company of children are my true realm; I speak to the smallest through my books, while the reader meet-and-greets also provide an opportunity for active personal encounters.

BIOGRAPHY

The career of Erika Bartos, Pro Familiis award-winning storyteller, began in the early 2000s. Her lovingly crafted books were immediately embraced by the youngest readers, and her works played a significant role in the resurgence of Hungarian children’s literature in the early 2000s. Through her tales, she conveys a soothing, harmonious world, which she personally illustrates. Several bands have set her poems to music, and classical children's choir pieces have been composed to her texts. Kedd Animation Studio produced an animation series from the Berry and Dolly series; it was the first Hungarian children’s series after the regime change. The Berry and Dolly series also revived Hungarian slide film production after a ten-year silence, being the first slide film produced using digital technology. Her pioneering role in children’s culture is referenced in numerous articles. The author also crafted the ladybird girl and the snail boy, in puppet form, and the puppet exhibition received invitations to numerous venues. Erika Bartos regularly holds storytelling events in libraries, kindergartens and cultural centres, and her reader meet-and-greets are consistently sold out.

In addition to her widely recognised storybook series, she has written and illustrated many – lesser-known – books to aid those suffering from serious illnesses, exploring the everyday lives of children with cancer, leukaemia, organ transplants, heart disease, autism, and disabilities, donating all of the proceeds. For her invaluable charitable books and diverse philanthropic activities, she received a ministerial commendation and was awarded certificates from the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta and the Red Cross, and in 2017 she received the Children’s Book of the Year award for the volume titled Star-bus. Her works have been published in several languages, and her oeuvre has been recognised with numerous domestic and international awards. Several years ago, Erika Bartos also launched her own initiative, through which twice a year, on Children’s Day and at Christmas, she provides children’s books and toy packages to applicant kindergartens which, due to limited financial means, are glad to receive them. The author conducts her charitable activities exclusively from her own resources, never having asked for or received state support or sponsorship.

She earned her degree with distinction from the Faculty of Architecture at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), receiving special awards from the Hungarian Chamber of Architects and the Budapest Mayor’s Office. Due to her background in architecture, the built environment plays a prominent role in her books. In her book entitled Hoppie's tales, she introduced the city of Pécs to younger readers, earning the Pro Civitate award from the city of Pécs. In 2016, the author also explored the architecture of the capital, stepping out of the world of storybooks to publish an architectural album titled Secrets of Budapest, illustrated with her own drawings. With this volume, she won the Mayor's Special Award at the Beautiful Hungarian Book Competition. In her series Bruno presents Budapest, she presents the capital through the eyes of a child, while the Bruno at Lake Balaton books explore the Hungarian sea. The Bruno series gained recognition from the architectural community, earning the Desert Rose Award, an architectural award presented at the 19th International Congress of Architects, as well as winning the Pro Budapest Award from the General Assembly of Budapest, and in 2024, the Balaton Award.

AWARDS

2025: Libri Literary Award for the book “Berry and Dolly – Who’s Who?”

2024: Libri Literary Award for the book “Berry and Dolly – Treasures of the Snail House”

2024: Balaton Award for the “Bruno at Lake Balaton” book series

2024: Award for Serving Future Generations

2023:Guardian of the Hungarian Language Award

2023: Pro Budapest Award from the General Assembly of Budapest 

2023: The “Berry and Dolly – Months Board Game” won the Toy of the Country title 

2023: Millennium Award from the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office

2022: Desert Rose Award, architectural recognition for the Bruno series

2020: Author of the Year recognition from Editura Casa publishing house

2019: The “Berry and Dolly – Speed Colors” board game won the Toy of the Country title 

2018: Éva Janikovszky Award 

2018: The “Berry and Dolly – Grabolo” board game won the Toy of the Country title 

2017: The Berry and Dolly animation series won the Judges’ Choice Award at the 6th International Animation Festival in Xi'an, China.

2017: Mayor's Special Award at the Beautiful Hungarian Book Competition for the “Secrets of Budapest” book

2017: Children's Book of the Year Award (Star-bus book, illustrator)

2017: The “Berry and Dolly – Brainbox” board game won the Toy of the Country title 

2017: The “Waiting for Heart Catheterisation” story won a silver place in the “For Me!” competition

2016: The “Berry and Dolly – Seasons” board game won the Toy of the Country title 

2016: Golden Book Award for the “Berry and Dolly Blow Bubbles” volume

2016: Certificate of Recognition from the Hungarian Red Cross

2015: “Pro Familiis” award from the Ministry of Human Capacities for outstanding professional activity

2015: Certificate from the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta for the “Guardian Angel” storybook

2014: Certificate from the Subotica International Festival of Children's Theatres

2014: Pagony Traveling Pen Award – for significant and unique creative activity in contemporary children's literature

2013: Certificate of Recognition from the Ministry of Human Capacities for exemplary volunteer activity

2013: Museum Patron Award from Székelyudvarhely for the Berry and Dolly puppet exhibition

2013: Pro Civitate award from the city of Pécs for outstanding literary and diverse other achievements

2013: The “Berry and Dolly” cartoon won the Premio Cartoon Kids award in Italy

2013: The “Berry and Dolly” cartoon won the Audience Award at the Kecskemét Film Festival

2012: “The Bravery Test” storybook won the Astellas Special Award

2012: The “Hoppie's Tales” book received recognition from Magyar Turizmus Zrt.

2012: Istanbul Book Festival: Plaque for the reading experience provided to children

2011: The “Berry and Dolly” cartoon (Kedd Animation Studio) won the Best Short Film award at the Jiangyin International Film Festival

2010: First place in the "Ten Years’ Fifty Best Books" public vote for the “Ann, Pete and Greg” book series

2007: Recognition for selfless contribution to the creation of Birth Week

1998: Diploma Award from the Mayor's Office of the Municipality of the City of Budapest

1997: Award from the Hungarian Chamber of Architects

1997: Certificate from the Department of Structural Mechanics and Structural Engineering for outstanding performance

1996: Award from the Institute of Architectural History and Theory for the church reconstruction plan

1996: Special Award from Középületépítő Rt.

1996: ÉVOSZ Student Award

1996: Recognition from the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Architecture at BME for outstanding academic achievement

EDUCATION

2015: Guest-student semester at the Bárczi Gusztáv College of Special Needs Education
2006: Advanced publication editing
2004: Computer graphics course
2002: Interior design course
1992-1998: Faculty of Architecture at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)
1988-1992: Eötvös József Secondary School
1980-1988: Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir

READER MEET-AND-GREETS, EXHIBITIONS, FESTIVALS

HAJDÚNÁNÁS KÉKY LAJOS CULTURAL CENTRE – video
SALGÓTARJÁN JÓZSEF ATTILA CULTURAL HOUSE – video
KAZINCBARCIKA MEZEY ARTS CENTRE – video
KISKUNHALAS CSETÉNYI CENTRE – video
GALANTA CULTURAL CENTRE – video
SZOLNOK VERSEGHY FERENC LIBRARY
FONYÓD CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
PÁPA JÓKAI MÓR LIBRARY
MEET-AND-GREET IN PÁPA
CSONGRÁD CSEMEGI LIBRARY
GYENESDIÁS FESTETICS EXPERIENCE CENTRE 
KUNSZÁLLÁS VILLAGE CENTRE
BALATONBOGLÁR 
SZEGED HELLER ÖDÖN CULTURAL CENTRE
KESZTHELY BALATON MUSEUM 
BRATISLAVA CSEMADOK HEADQUARTERS 
VEĽKÉ KAPUŠANY 
GALANTA CULTURAL CENTRE 
KLEBELSBERG CULTURAL MANOR
SÜMEG CULTURAL CENTRE
SEREGÉLYES CULTURAL HOUSE
BUDAPEST PROJECT GALLERY
BUDAPEST SZABÓ ERVIN LIBRARY, GALLERY HALL
GOTHENBURG CITY LIBRARY, SWEDEN
SUBOTICA, INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN’S THEATRES
LONDON, HUNGARIAN CULTURAL CENTRE, GUILDFORD
BRUSSELS, BALASSI INSTITUTE
ODORHEIU SECUIESC, HAÁZ REZSŐ MUSEUM
ISTANBUL, INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
TOKYO, TOKYO ANIME AWARD FESTIVAL
BUDAPEST, FUGA ARCHITECTURE CENTRE
BUDAPEST, MILLENÁRIS PARK

PUBLICATIONS:

INTERVIEWS, ARTICLES

VOLUNTEER WORK:

FOR OTHERS

MAJOR WORKS

Series:

Berry and Dolly series

From 2004, Pozsonyi Pagony Publishing House, then from 2016 self-published by the author. The series' stories revolve around Berry, the snail boy, Dolly, the ladybird girl, and their friends: the bee, the stag beetle, and the butterfly girl, with the author's own illustrations. By 2025, 80 volumes have been published. The individual volumes of the series are available in several languages: German, Romanian, Slovak, Czech, Chinese, Turkish, Latvian, Vietnamese; and some volumes are also available in English. Kedd Animation Studio produced seven seasons of animation from the Berry and Dolly series (2010, 2011, 2014, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025). In 2025, work began on Season 8. In 2025, CODE in Veszprém presented the Berry and Dolly immersive screening as well.

Foreign-language editions: Some of Erika Bartos’s tales are also available in various foreign languages: Romanian, Slovak, Czech, Chinese, Turkish, Latvian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Ukrainian, and English and German editions are also available for some books.

Anna, Pete and Greg series

11 volumes, 2006-2009, Alexandra Publishing House
The series is about the everyday life of a five-member family, with the author’s own illustrations. A total of 170 stories were published in the 11 volumes. The series is currently not available.

Bruno presents Budapest series

The children’s book series presenting the capital through a child’s eyes had six volumes published between 2016 and 2021, then in 2023, on the 150th anniversary of the unification of the capital, a seventh, celebratory volume was published, and the Budapest Browser was also completed in 2024.

Bruno at Lake Balaton series

The first and second volumes of the children’s book series presenting Lake Balaton through a child’s eyes were published in 2022, and the third, final volume in 2023, when Veszprém held the title European Capital of Culture.

Bruno’s Tales series

Birthday (2019, Móra Publishing)
Little Siblings, Big Siblings (2019, Móra Publishing)

Kindergarten Sign Stories series

Kindergarten Sign Stories – Red Group (2025)
Kindergarten Sign Stories – Blue Group  (2025)
Kindergarten Sign Stories – Yellow Group  (2025)

Healing Kiss series

Healing Kiss / Blue Book – Spring and summer stories about the most common childhood illnesses (2023)
Healing Kiss / Red Book – Autumn and winter stories about the most common childhood illnesses (2023)

Helping books:

Susie Bunny's Days – A Story about Cystic Fibrosis (2024, Foundation for a Lighter Soul and Breath)

Fluffball's Story – A Tale of a Kitten with a Shunt (2021, Lives with Shunts Foundation)

Eternal Embrace – A Storybook about Adoption (2020, Self-published)

New Life, New Smile – A Storybook about Organ Transplantation (2016, Transplantation Institute)

Star-bus – A Storybook about Autism (2016, AutiSpectrum Association)

Guardian Angel – A storybook about the daily lives of children with disabilities, acceptance, and loving support (2014, Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta)

My Heart is Healed! – A preparatory booklet for children with heart disease, commissioned by the Gottsegen György Hungarian Institute of Cardiology, 2014

The Bravery Test – The book was published by the Guardians Foundation to help children with cancer and leukaemia. A unique and indispensable publication, no similar comprehensive work has ever been created in Hungary on paediatric medical topics for charitable purposes, 2012

Waiting for Heart Catheterisation – A preparatory booklet for children with heart disease, commissioned by the Gottsegen György Hungarian Institute of Cardiology, 2011

Poetry collections:

Snowball – Children's Poems (2013)
Locomotive – Children's Poems (2011)
Fluffy Clouds – Children's Poems (2010)
Centipede – Poems for Kindergarteners (2009)
Lucky Dip – Poems for Kindergarteners (2008)
Poems set to music

Other volumes:

Birth – (2018, Móra)
Passing – (2018, Móra)

Were you ever small, Great-grandpa? – (2016, Self-published)
Were you ever small, Great-grandma? – (2016, Self-published)

It’s good to be together! – (2015, Pozsonyi Pagony)
It’s good to be together! workbook – (2016, Pozsonyi Pagony)

Hoppie’s Tales – (A children’s book introducing the city of Pécs with the author’s own illustrations)

Balaton– A storybook illustrated with playdoh pictures, with a CD by the Alma Ensemble (2010, Universal Music)

Magic Chess – a children’s novel (2007, Alexandra)
Hanna’s Journeys – a children’s novel (2006, Alexandra)

Architectural books:

Secrets of Budapest, Interesting Facts about Notable Buildings – (2016, Self-published, reissued in 2023 with updated content)
Budapest in Drawings – (2016, Self-published)
Budapest in drawings – (2016, Self-published)

SLIDE FILMS

Slide film production is still flourishing in Hungary today. All this is thanks to librarian and passionate slide film collector Ferenc Bíró, and to Erika Bartos. After a hiatus of more than a decade, the revival was brought about by the Berry and Dolly stories.

Berry and Dolly – Rainbow (2004)
Berry and Dolly – Paper Kite (2005)
Berry and Dolly – Witches (2005)
Little Train in Moss Valley (2006)
Berry and Dolly’s Relatives (2008)
Cycling Tour on Pipitér Island (2012)
Grandpa’s Birthday (2014)
Berry and Dolly – Berry and the Wind (2016)
Berry and Dolly – Gingerbreads (2021)

ANIMATED FILM

In the golden age of Hungarian animation, at around 1960–1980, several television cartoon series were produced each year for young children. The more than twenty years of silence arriving around the time of the regime change was broken by KEDD Studio with the Berry and Dolly animated series, which has enjoyed unbroken popularity ever since.

Berry and Dolly – 13 Stories (2010)
Berry and Dolly – 13 New Stories (2011)
Berry and Dolly – Playpals (2014)
Berry and Dolly – Fairy Cards (2020)
Berry and Dolly – Tales of the Months (2023)
Berry and Dolly – Jingle Bells (2024)
Berry and Dolly – Stories from the Spotted House (2025)
Berry and Dolly – Seasons immersive screening (2025)

PUPPET PERFORMANCES

The Berry and Dolly series was performed with puppets by the author herself, using her own handmade puppets, in kindergartens, libraries and community centres. Later, several excellent puppet adaptations were produced, such as those by the Kolibri Puppet Theatre, the Csiky Gergely Theatre in Kaposvár, the Móricz Zsigmond Theatre in Nyíregyháza, and the production by Kultkikötő .

WEBSITES

www.bartoserika.hu , www.bogyoesbaboca.com , www.bogyoesbabocacsomag.hu, www.bogyoesbabocabolt.hu, www.segitokonyvek.hu , www.brunobudapesten.hu , www.brunobalatonon.hu , Youtube-csatorna

(Fordítás: Edimart fordítóiroda)