Das Spiel des Lebens
NIKOLAUS HEIDELBACH
Die kleine gute Fee und der Tod / The Little Good Fairy and Death
July 2025
ca 36 pages
with 20 4c illustrations
20 x 16.5 cm
The complex topics of life, death and transience are presented in an accessible and entertaining way
Profundity combined with lightness and charm
Text and illustrations by Nikolaus Heidelbach
The Game of Life
Death and the little fairy each claim the newborn Lukas Linser for themselves. To reach a decision, they meet at a playground born of
fantasy. There, they measure their strength in twelve exciting rounds. Whether playing rock-paper-scissors, jousting, or hanging contests,
the fairy always seems to have the upper hand. But Death does not give up and ultimately triumphs. What he overlooks, however, is the
passage of time—99 years have passed during their games. Life and death are inseparable, and no one can know when it will end.
Perhaps one will be fortunate and a little fairy will keep Death at bay for nearly 100 years, as she does in this story.
Nikolaus Heidelbach combines this difficult topic with playful charm and wit. He invites readers to reflect on life, death, and the value of
time—but not too seriously.
Die kleine gute Fee und der Tod / The Little Good Fairy and Death
July 2025
ca 36 pages
with 20 4c illustrations
20 x 16.5 cm
The complex topics of life, death and transience are presented in an accessible and entertaining way
Profundity combined with lightness and charm
Text and illustrations by Nikolaus Heidelbach
The Game of Life
Death and the little fairy each claim the newborn Lukas Linser for themselves. To reach a decision, they meet at a playground born of
fantasy. There, they measure their strength in twelve exciting rounds. Whether playing rock-paper-scissors, jousting, or hanging contests,
the fairy always seems to have the upper hand. But Death does not give up and ultimately triumphs. What he overlooks, however, is the
passage of time—99 years have passed during their games. Life and death are inseparable, and no one can know when it will end.
Perhaps one will be fortunate and a little fairy will keep Death at bay for nearly 100 years, as she does in this story.
Nikolaus Heidelbach combines this difficult topic with playful charm and wit. He invites readers to reflect on life, death, and the value of
time—but not too seriously.
Rights inquiries
Nikolaus Heidelbach
Nikolaus Heidelbach lives in Cologne. His picture books and illustrations have won many prizes and in 2000 he received the special lifetime...
Nikolaus Heidelbach lives in Cologne. His picture books and illustrations have won many prizes and in 2000 he received the special lifetime achievement award presented by the German Youth Literature Prize. The 1995 edition of the "Märchen der Brüder Grimm" which he selected and illustrated is just as celebrated as his edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales published in 2004.