The Star Lake

Will Gmehling & Jens Rassmus

When the four friends looked at the lake from the 11th floor of their tower block, they could see that it had jagged edges like a star. The ‘Star Lake’ made them proud of their neighbourhood, which was otherwise rather bleak.

In January, the lake froze over for the very first time. The ice was so firm that the children could romp around on it. It was great and unusual. But it became strange when spring came: the lake remained frozen.
And even in the heat of summer, the ice was so thick that pizza stalls were built on it and children lay on the ice to cool off. Reporters were everywhere, and specialists from around the world were arriving in search of an explanation…

The events against which Will Gmehling tells a captivatingly quiet story of friendship between four neighbourhood children are spectacular. They tell of their lives in simple circumstances, of happiness, trust and a connection with nature. And of first love, the real sensation on the shores of the Star Lake.

Peter Hammer Verlag

Children’s Fiction | Middle Grade

Original title: Der Sternsee
Age 9+
56 pp | € 14
hc | 145 x 222 mm
Publication: February 2025

Author: Will Gmehling
Illustrator: Jens Rassmus

All rights available

Awards

Press Reviews

“The distinctive feature of Will Gmehling and Jens Rassmus’s children’s novel lies in its modulation of quiet tones. It lies in the anomalies of what appears to be everyday, yet is not: a bench on which four friends sit and simply talk to each other; the nasty division; a girl in a turquoise jacket; the culinary change from gummy worms to apples; a lake in a high-rise housing estate. The Star Lake.” – STUBE, Toad of the Month, Summer 2025

“A fabulous, poetic novella.” – Die Zeit

“A lake that freezes over in January and remains frozen over in spring and summer. Children who live in a high-rise housing estate and enjoy their friendship. Will Gmehling has created an unusual children’s story that tells of happiness and trust. Rassmus’ fine illustrations capture the moods, give the book a special magic and leave the reader with something to think about. A book that you should read and look at several times!” – German Academy for Children’s Literature

“A poetic children’s novel with a clear tone and full of fascinating nature images. An book that is good in every aspect doesn’t need many pages.” – The Jury of the LUCHS Award

“A very, very beautiful story, right in the middle of everyday life, about small and big miracles.” – Susanne Rikl / kommbuch.com

“Will Gmehling was awarded the German Children’s Literature Award in 2020 for his children’s book The Lido (Freibad) – for his unagitated but touching narrative style. In The Star Lake (Der Sternsee), too, the children’s authentic relationship carries the story. The two-color illustrations give the book a unique appearance.” – Natascha Hermes / Schwericke bookshop, Berlin Lichterfelde

“Will Gmehling tells the story of friendship lovingly, calmly, with clever observations and pointed dialog. Illustrated by Jens Rassmus, whose sketchy drawings perfectly capture the events and bring them to life.” –Katharina Portugal, Buchkultur

“Once again, the author depicts children’s everyday lives so realistically and accurately that young readers can easily recognize themselves.” – Britta Selle, MDR Kultur

“A literary gem that remains exciting despite its careful narrative style.” – Christine Paxmann, Eselsohr

“Friendship is what lasts. Rassmus is excellent at portraying this: the bond between these friends is always particularly emphasised.” – Karin Vach / Deutschlandfunk

“With a dash of fantastic realism, Will Gmehling tells a quiet story about friendship and connection that is both thoughtful and heartwarming.” – Kirstin Breitenfellner / Falter

“A gem is a treasure you come across in everyday life. A children’s novel, for example, which, amid a flood of pink-coloured books, is not devoted to princesses or pirates, but to everyday life. And it does so in a narrative tone and style that is anything but ordinary.” –Heidi Lexe / 1001 Buch

“The author conveys the idea that the inexplicable and unfathomable are part of life, placing great trust in his young readers’ ability to form their own opinions. What a relief, given the abundance of educational children’s books on the market!” – Kathrin Buchmann / Der rote Elefant

“It’s a story that stays with you for a long time because it seems somehow mysterious. And yet it’s just as wonderful and ordinary, as if it could happen to any one of us.” –Andrea Wanner / titel-kulturmagazin

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By the same author

By the same illustrator