The Missing Barbegazi

This wintry story is set in the Swiss Alps where Tessa lives with her family.  Before his death, Tessa’s beloved grandfather always insisted that barbegazi, creatures from Swiss and French folklore that look like a mix of troll, gnome and yeti with long white beards and huge feet for moving on snow, really existed.  Tessa’s determination to find a barbegazi and prove him right leads her to Gawion.  Gawion is young, in barbegazi terms, and he has problems of his own.  His barbegazi family is starving without the berries that Tessa’s grandfather used to bring to them and his sister has been kidnapped by a sinister scientist.  Adventures, misunderstandings and unlikely friendships ensue as Tessa and Gawion both learn about the importance of trust, friendship, families and knowing when to keep a secret.

This is a contemporary adventure story with the atmosphere of a north European folk tale.  The snowy mountain setting and the cold are well conveyed as would be expected from a Danish author who lives in Switzerland and who loves to ski.  The publisher’s aim is to share tales from different languages and cultures and, although the plot becomes a little complicated at times, this title should certainly transport its readers to an unfamiliar and icy world.