Synopsis:

  This is Peter's first visit to Oz — Peter being a small boy from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA (Ms Thompson's hometown) — and he manages to make it an exciting one.

  Carried by a balloon bird over the Nonestic Ocean, Peter lets go of the bird's legs, rather than become an "airrend" boy to Queen Luna from Sandaroo. Peter lands near Runaway Island, home of Ruggedo - the former Gnome King. When a sea quake turns the sea upside down (revealing the bottom), the two team-up and try to make their way to the Land of Ev. They climb into an exposed pirate shipwreck to search for treasure and in minutes, the sea rights itself again and they now float to Ev were Peter is soon caught up in yet another of Ruggedo's periodic attempts to conquer Oz.

  While this is happening, the Quilties of Patch have kidnapped Scraps [first introduced in The Patchwork Girl of Oz] and Ripper the Scissor Bird is trying to force her to be their Queen. After escaping, Peter and Scraps meet for a breathless series of adventures. Their quest takes them through strange new lands in Oz and encounters with unusual inhabitants, including Ozwold the Ostrich, Wumbo the Wonder Worker and his son, Kuma Party who aid them with magical powers.

  Peter arrives in the Emerald City just in time to save the city from Ruggedo - thanks to Peter's baseball pitching skills. Ozma offers to make him a prince in Oz, but Peter would prefer to pursue his dreams on the (baseball) pitcher's mound back home in Philadelphia.