On a warm June afternoon, ten-year-old Drew - shy, scared, and a gifted artist - escapes some bullies and his bickering parents by crawling into a cave. Miss Jane Guess-Talt, a seemingly kind lady, brings him into her world, and teaches him how to make water walking shoes. In an effort to help her grow her world, he water walks across the Ocean of Tears to reach the Land of the Dragons. After meeting submarine captain Paul and his giant pet mice (Peter and Mary), Drew climbs the Cliffs of Celeste, and is imprisoned by the (ver)-Ticals for being a (hori)-Zontal. He speaks with the dragons, and tries to convince them to let Miss Jane go to the other realms. They fear she wants to conquer all of the magical worlds, and Drew vows to learn the truth. Slipping back to Miss Jane's island home, he rescues the other children she's imprisoned, and together they battle her in an effort to escape.