About Simon Pastorello
Simon’s journey has taken him from Italy to Lancashire to London, serving as a pastor since 2009 and now also as a Bible college lecturer. He’s all too familiar with the emotional and spiritual whirlwind following a loved one’s passing, and the challenge for parents, and adults in general, to help young children navigate such waters.
But it was a recent family crisis that brought this book into being. When his father faced a terminal diagnosis, Simon found himself preparing for a conversation no parent wants to have – explaining death to the young children in his family.
He did what he’d done for over 15 years in ministry – he prayed. And in that prayer, God gave him a picture that became the heart of this book: people are like balloons, made of rubber and breath, both visible and invisible parts, one that wears out, and one that remains. It’s an illustration simple enough for a child to grasp, yet profound enough to carry real hope.
Why He’s Writing This Book
Today’s parents are increasingly facing conversations about grief at earlier stages, making an already difficult subject even more challenging to address, and there are very few resources out there to help.
‘This is the kind of book nobody wishes to ever need,’ Simon says, ‘but that will feel like a God-send by Christian households facing grief.’
Having experienced firsthand what it was like to speak with his 5-year-old daughter, Simon wrote People are like Balloons to help other families cope with loss – offering them something that speaks truth with childlike simplicity, providing genuine comfort without diminishing the reality of loss.
Beyond its place in the home and as a thoughtful gift, this book will serve as a valuable tool for churches, children’s ministries, grief charities and support programmes seeking to help children with grief.
What People are like Balloons is About
People Are Like Balloons begins at a wake. Adults gather in dark grief whilst a little girl sits unaware, playing with her dolls, colouring book, and a balloon. When she asks, ‘Daddy, where is grandad?’, her father steps into her colourful world to answer one of life’s hardest questions.
Through the memorable image of balloons – with their rubber bodies and invisible breath – the father explains that people too have visible bodies and an invisible spirit – God’s very own breath. It’s a conversation crafted with both theological integrity and the simplicity a young child needs.
The book doesn’t venture into weighty doctrines. Instead, it focuses on what a grieving child needs most: reassurance about where their loved one has gone. After acknowledging the reality of fear and grief, the story ends with genuine hope – those who love God are with Jesus, and Jesus himself is ready to meet us in our time of need. As the book’s last line reads, ‘Like balloons, people come and go. But Jesus is always there.’
How You Can Help
Simon would love you to come alongside him in bringing hope and comfort to families navigating one of childhood’s most vulnerable moments. Please consider supporting the release of his book through prayer and financial support.
Specifically, we are hoping to raise £1500 in sponsorship to help with the cost of the illustrations, which are being created by a professional Christian artist, Ooliab Studio. We have several sponsorship options available which you can explore here https://broadplacepublishing.co.uk/people-are-like-balloons-sponsorship
Thank you for your support!