Since December we have had a new, special sales item in our shop repertoire with the children's book "Matti und die Sternenbrücke", written by Ute Nerge and Ulrike Heyn. The authors describe how to deal with loss, illness, death and grief in an imaginative and child-friendly way. Woven into an exciting story surrounding the Sternenbrücke, grief is not only explained, but it also becomes clear that support is needed in order to learn to live with it.
Ulrike Heyn came up with the idea for the book after her first visit to the Sternenbrücke children's hospice in 2013, which touched her deeply. After further visits to the "Open Day" the decision matured to put her impressions on paper in a story that she later gave to Ute Nerge, initiator of the Sternenbrücke.
Ute Nerge was immediately impressed by this story: embedded in an exciting plot, Ulrike Heyn described the Sternenbrücke, her work and the small and large guests in detail and at the same time sensitively. It was a matter close to her heart to get in direct contact with Ulrike Heyn, because the idea of teaching children how to deal with the topics of illness, dying, death and grief in the form of a children's book had occupied Ute Nerge for a long time. She developed the story further and brought in her extensive experience from daily work with affected families.
The book was illustrated by Philipp Wahl, a long-time employee of the Sternenbrücke.
When nine-year-old Matti loses his sister Malin, his life changes overnight. Due to the deep sorrow that surrounds him and his family from now on, Matti feels helpless and alone. On a stormy autumn day, he suddenly comes into possession of a star-shaped yellow leaf that shows him the way to a special house - a house full of light and warmth. Matti had never seen a place like this, but although everything is new to him, he immediately feels safe.
He trusts Ute, the manager of the house, and makes new friends in Oskar and Lilli, two young guests. He can confide his feelings to you and learn to deal with them.
But the house is in danger, and Matti, Lilli and Oskar embark on a dangerous and adventurous journey to protect those around them from freezing their feelings and suppressing their grief.
If we have aroused your interest, please visit us in our online shop at www.shop-sternenbruecke.de.