The Adventures of Gabriel and the Shadow of Zuff is here, and it's bigger, bolder, and more confident than the first. This is Gabriel at 11 years old, stretching his imagination across continents and centuries, weaving together endangered creatures both real and mythical, and asking one of the most important questions a child can ask:

Can hope be restored before darkness takes over?

A Skeleton Named Hope

The adventure begins in the caves of Coral Cove, where Gabriel and his trusty platypus sidekick, Platy, discover something extraordinary: the skeleton of a dodo bird.

Not just any dodo, this one has a name.

Hope.

And Gabriel wants to restore her.

But how do you bring hope back to life? That question launches them through a magical portal and sends them on a journey around the world, meeting endangered animals, wise guides, and powerful allies who each share lessons Gabriel and Platy will need for their quest.

The Tyrant Who Wants to Control Everything

But they're not alone on this journey.

In the shadows, they're being hunted by the Tyrant Professor Zuff a power-hungry villain who wants to control the world and capture every endangered creature for his private collection.

Gabriel and Platy race against time, following clues from their great-grandfather's journal and messages from the animals and people they meet along the way.

The question that drives the entire story:

Can Gabriel and Platy return to Coral Cove and restore Hope before Zuff's shadow controls everything?

Why This Book Matters

When Gabriel narrated this story to me over our weekly sessions, I could hear something shifting in his voice.

The first book was about defeating a sea monster and discovering courage.

This book? It's about something deeper.

It's about endangered species, the real crisis facing animals around the world.

It's about hope, and whether we can restore it when it seems lost.

It's about greed and power—and how a young hero learns to stand against forces much bigger than himself.

Gabriel didn't just want to tell an adventure story. He wanted to tell a story that mattered.

A Bigger Book, A More Confident Story

The Shadow of Zuff is longer, richer, and more layered than the first book.

Gabriel's storytelling has grown. His characters are more complex. His world-building spans continents. The  themes touch on real-world concerns of standing up to tyranny.

But what hasn't changed? The heart of it.

This is still a story told by a child, for children.

It's still filled with:

• Puzzles and clues to solve
• Illustrations that bring the adventure to life
• Humor that makes kids laugh
• Heroes who aren't perfect but figure things out anyway
• A platypus named Platy who's loyal, and always ready for the next quest

For Parents and Teachers

The Shadow of Zuff is perfect for:

📚 Children aged 8-12 who love adventure, mystery, and animals
🌍 Readers interested in the world about them 
🧩 Children who enjoy interactive elements like puzzles and clues
🦜 Reluctant readers who need engaging stories with illustrations
✍️ Young writers looking for inspiration to create their own adventures

How This Book Came to Be

Just like the first book, The Shadow of Zuff was created through our weekly storytelling sessions.

Gabriel would narrate. I would scribe. We'd read it back, refine it together, and watch the story unfold week by week.

And now, it's out in the world, inspiring children to create their own stories, just like Gabriel's first book did.

The Question at the Heart of the Story

Throughout the book, Gabriel and Platy face a central question:

Can hope be restored?

Gabriel's answer, told through sea monsters and dodo skeletons, through magical portals and wise guides, is this:

Yes. If you're brave enough to try. If you don't give up. If you believe in yourself.

That's the gift of this book.

Get Your Copy

The Adventures of Gabriel and the Shadow of Zuff is available now.

Perfect for:

• Family read-alouds
• Classroom book clubs
• Gifts for young readers
• Anyone who believes hope can be restored

Order here: theadventuresofgabriel.com/order

What's Next?

Gabriel is already working on Book Three.

More adventures. More creatures. More questions worth exploring.

Because once you start telling stories, it's hard to stop.

And when those stories inspire other children to pick up a pen (or start narrating their own tales), you realsze:

This isn't just about Gabriel's adventures anymore.

It's about every child discovering they have stories worth telling.

"Can Gabriel and Platy restore Hope before Zuff's shadow controls everything?"

Read The Shadow of Zuff to find out.

And then ask your own children: What story do YOU want to tell?

Explore Gabriel's World

Order The Shadow of Zuff:
theadventuresofgabriel.com

Bring StoryQuest to your school:
my-storyquest.com

Every child has the power to restore hope, one story at a time.