Once long ago in a distant world,
there was a young orphan girl named Boo
who lost her parents but found her family,
who lost her way but discovered her home.
Riding a horse named Matchbox, and with the help of a
cat named Tertiary and her faithful dog Stix, the child sets out on a mission
to find her best friend, Zephyr. On a
dark and dangerous journey through exotic cultures, Boo discovers the hard
realities and the unexpected rewards/promises of life.
As she learns and compares new customs and rituals, the lonely but self-reliant child learns the value of comrades, the varieties of their courage, and the advantages of co-operation.
As she learns and compares new customs and rituals, the lonely but self-reliant child learns the value of comrades, the varieties of their courage, and the advantages of co-operation.
On adventures that take her through incomparable
worlds, Boo becomes both the rescuer and the rescued – not yet realizing
that by the end of the journey she will be a self-reliant and mature
young woman of 14 years.
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Synopsis
After the wise and kindly Zephyr mysteriously vanishes, young Boo suspects kidnapping and sets out to find him. With Zephyr’s cat Tertiary, Boo and Stix enter a subterranean network of passageways that lead to new worlds, new friends, and exciting adventures. Soon, Boo is astonished to find that her animal companions can speak.
Entering the first of several new worlds, Boo is joined
by three new friends: the boy Wioka, his
horse Winter, and a magnificent stallion named Matchbox. Wioka aids Boo in her search for Zephyr by
taking her to his village and introducing her to his family. After receiving useful gifts and news of Zephyr,
Boo sets off once more. Guided by Wioka
to the gate of yet another world, she reflects on the happy family life she’s
just experienced and realizes how different her own life has been.
The next destination is Ruan, a world of forests,
mountains, and great cities by a sea.
There, Boo finds not only her lost friend, but also a greater quest –
and a hint of her own destiny, as she finds herself longing for a family.
Reunited, Boo and Zephyr search for Dracocaecus, the
evil sorcerer who had kidnapped Zephyr.
Zephyr tries to dissuade Boo from her quest to destroy Dracocaecus in
order to save countless lives on various worlds. Boo then discovers that the sorcerer may also
hold the key to the mystery of her own father’s earlier disappearance, and that
the lives of two of her companions are linked to the sorcerer’s clouded and
bloody past.
Boo and Zephyr, along with their animal
friends, journey to a city by the sea, where they find Dracocaecus. In the climactic scene, they battle the evil
sorcerer and ultimately vanquish him – aided by Tertiary, who undergoes an
astonishing transformation. In the
aftermath, Boo learns the truth about her father’s disappearance, and decides
to rebuild her life in a place of peace and tranquility.
Boo & Zephyr is not “adolescent literature” – it presents a coming-of age story with
mature, family-friendly themes. This
novel is the perfect vehicle for an animated feature aimed at all ages – adults
will appreciate its dimension and the youth audience of both genders will find
role models and attractive characters.
The pace is fast, with colorful characters and full relationships, and
the action is imaginative and exciting.