Local Author Chiara Gajar Introduces New Valley Legend
The Cookie Troll creator Chiara Gajar
O
lympic Valley has always had its share of mythical characters whose alpine exploits are the stuff of legend. Steve McKinney, Scot Schmidt and Shane McConkey are just a few names that come to mind. And now, you can add the Cookie Troll. Yes, the Cookie Troll, a fictional cartoon character who lives in a cave overlooking the resort and whose insatiable appetite for the tasty treats at
4
Palisades Press
a certain cookie shop compels him to go to extreme measures to attain them. And his story is all in a children's book, aptly named The Cookie Troll, created by longtime local Chiara Gajar. Chiara says her inspiration came from being a runner-up at Wildflour Baking Company's (aka the cookie shop) annual Valentine's Day poetry contest a few years ago. “In 2019, I submitted a poem about a curious troll, living high in the mountains, who could not resist the sweet smells escaping the local bakery and figures out a way to get the cookies,” she explains. “The poem stuck with me and I kept picturing the images that would go along with it. So I researched a bit about writing a children's book and then rewrote my poem to suit the typical 32-page children's picture book. “When my kids were younger, we would read nightly, and I always thought how fun it would be to write a children's book and knew it would be a "someday" project,” she says. “Well, 'someday' has arrived.” For the illustrations, Chiara enlisted the talents of her niece, Eva Macejková, who lives in Slovakia but had spent several months with Chiara and her family a few years ago and was familiar with and very fond of the valley. “ She took art lessons in her younger years and was an architecture student at the time,” says Chiara. “I asked if she had any interest in illustrating a book for me and she agreed. We worked together coming up with the troll and collaborated on the illustrations. There were certain scenes I envisioned in my mind and details I wanted included, and she created them all beautifully.”
Without being said, the story takes place in Olympic Valley. “The imagery says it all as you’ll see a beautiful double page spread of KT-22 on a powder day.” she says. The first self-published edition came out midDecember, and Chiara is scheduling reading/signing events with local school children and at public locations within pandemic protocols. The new author says she has been touched by the response of sharing her story. After an outdoor reading to the Creekside Charter kindergarten class, one little boy pointed up to the Tram Face and said, “I think I see where the Cookie Troll lives!” And thus, a legend grows.
'I always thought how fun it would be to write a children's book and knew it would be a 'someday' project. Well, someday has arrived.' -- Chiara Gajar
The next reading/signing event is scheduled for Feb, 19 at 12;30 p.m. in The Village Events Plaza followed by a 3 p.m, reading in the Olympic House by the fireplace. Chiara, who is a real estate broker working with her husband, Ron, and father, Larry, at Lawrence Realty, has copies of The Cookie Troll. They sell for $18.65 and can be purchased directly by contacting Chiara (Chiara@LawrenceRealty.com) or purchased online at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-cookie-troll f