Giovanni is nine years old and lives a long time ago -- long before telephones, cars, and computers. He loves his family very much but is not the most obedient child in the village, which is in Central Italy at the base of a huge mountain. There, Giovanni, with his friend Suzie, meets Brusco, a Giant Talking Wolf, and his truly awesome friends. They play joyfully but together must face great danger, each more startling than the last. Along the way Giovanni discovers some strange truths about himself, the people he loves, about our world -- and about what lies beyond our world.