The whole monster story started back in 2010. The kid spotted one in a shop window and immediately wanted it – really wanted it. It was sewn, with a zipper for a mouth, and next to it was a little note explaining that this creature’s job was to gobble up children’s worries and sorrows. What surprised me most was how strongly he reacted. He’d never been interested in stuffed animals before – not even as a baby. Suddenly he would not let go of the idea of this “boo boo doll.”

So I improvised.

Since I don’t sew, I bought some cheap cotton yarn in whatever colors I could find (not exactly pretty ones, but it didn’t matter) and started to crochet. Long story short – the kid couldn’t have cared less about the colors. Before I had woven in the last thread, Boo Boo was claimed, carried upstairs, and instantly became part of the family. To this day, he won’t go to bed without him. Boo Boo is held close all night, comes along for sleepovers, and even joins us downstairs for breakfast.

And he really did take his job seriously. Whenever there was a worry, the kid would write it down and feed the little note into the toy’s mouth. Sometimes it took a while – especially with bigger worries, like when my dad was in the hospital – but somehow, Boo Boo always managed in the end. Every worry, sooner or later, found a way to a happy ending.

If you’re curious about the original version we saw in that shop window back then, try searching for “Sorgenfresser.”