Christmas is near, and the Ferguson family has just finished decorating thier Christmas tree. But later, when the family is drifting to sleep, others are waking up. In the living room, on the tree, the ornaments, lights, and other decorations are awakening from a year of slumber. As "Tree-Dwellers" catch up with one another, Larry, a joly snowman, spends hours searching for his brother, Terrence, who has seemed to dissapear.
After the death of their parents, Alex and Isa move to Northern California with their Auntie Ling and Uncle Norbert. Isa has stopped talking and Alex's art skills have been limited to drawing only dead trees. Alex is unhappy with her new school but soon makes a new friend, who also loves art. To afford art classes, they begin painting faces at school soccer games until Alex tries to leave early one day.
