In this book, the reader meets a boy named Bubba, who thinks he can dig a hole to China. With the help of a magic shovel, Bubba and his sister, Squirt, who is initially skeptical about the plan, find themselves in Xi'an China. The first person they meet is Tou wan, a girl who helps them on their journey. They must find a pendant that belongs to the first emporor of China. Adventures, problems, and even ghosts abound.
In this book, we meet a cranky bear who is just waking up from his hibernation. He meets many forest animals. The animals are a fish, a bumblebee, a bird, and a snail. The bear is going to eat the animals, but they share details of their lives with him so the bear loses his appetite. The fish talks about eating worms, the bird talks about feeding her babies, the bumblebee talks about how hard he works without recognition. The bear realizes the importance of the work these animals do, so he leaves them alone to go find his food elsewhere.
