Grace and Ellie have been best friends since second grade. Ellie's always right in the center of everything-- and Grace is usually happy to be Ellie's sidekick. But what happens when everything changes? This time it's Grace who suddenly has everyone's attention when she accidentally starts a new fad at school. It's a fad that has first her class, then her grade, and then the entire school collecting and trading and even fighting over . . . buttons?!...

After buying one outrageous hat after another in an attempt to keep up with the latest fashions set by his teasing animal friends, Harbet the dog learns that true happiness comes from being yourself.

Punchinello learns that it can be difficult, foolish, and even dangerous to try to keep up with the latest fads and that Eli, his maker, gave each Wemmick different characteristics on purpose.

Brother and Sister Bear get caught up buying as many of the popular new Beary Bubbies as they can, and learn the true joy and spirit of giving only after getting distracted by the commercialization of Christmas.

Two stories featuring Punchinello, the carved wooden boy who, in the first tale, tries to prove his worth by amassing more boxes and balls than anyone else, and in the second, learns that keeping up with fads is difficult and that his creator, Eli, has given each person in the town of Wemmick different characteristics on purpose.