When his father takes a new job in Massachusetts, Ben Moroney must leave behind his best friend Tony, a western banded gecko named Lenny, and, worst of all, the Arizona desert home he has loved and explored. Ben unexpectedly finds a kindred spirit in his new fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. Tibbets. Together they explore the varied habitats on her rural property, where she introduces him to the rare and elusive Eastern spadefoot toads that make their home there.