Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to take him to live with a father he has never known, but who soon has Cole involved with a group of African-American "cowboys" who rescue horses and use them to steer youths away from drugs and gangs.
An eight-year-old boy learns about hunting and the outdoors from his father, and when they discover a shivering mouse sharing the warmth of their camp stove, the boy reminds his dad of a lesson he was taught.
During a summer in Harlem, David relies on his mother, a close friend, and an old man he meets in the park to help him come to terms with his father's outbursts and unstable behavior.