Emelia is a spunky seven-year-old girl who spends her summers at her grandparents' cabin in the wilds of Wyoming, a place where she and her siblings are free to explore, play, and learn about nature. But one morning, Emelia comes across a part of nature that she doesn't want to explore:

A big, alien-looking beetle.

Emelia's instinct is to stomp on the strange critter, but Ms. Z won't let her, and soon Gramma Jane has Emelia off on a special mission. With her bug book in hand and lots of critters to explore, it's up to Emelia to discover that everything has a purpose, whether we know it or not.