A clumsy young click beetle learns to land on its feet with encouragement from various animals and a wise old beetle. An electronic chip and replaceable batteries create clicking sounds to accompany the story.
Marty finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, and tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.
After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.
Phoney Bone rigs the Spring Fair's annual Great Cow Race by putting Smiley in a bovine disguise and convincing everyone to bet their livestock on the mystery cow, and Fone Bone finds himself in a one-cousin battle with the rat creatures.