Young Gilbert Sullivan, hoping that a new toy store will bring joy to the dreary town of Merryville, finds instead that it leads him to another world, where a fearsome queen named Mixie is hard at work sealing the shared fate of both worlds. The owner of the toy store-known to the people of Merryville only as the Maker-Man-convinces Gilbert to purchase a magical substance, which he uses to open a portal to a place called Skaaten Dowe. He and his friend Sarah step through and quickly find that the portal, on the Skaaten Dowe side, is inaccessible for an immediate return trip. They have no choice but to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Only with the help of many strange and wonderful new friends can they hope to make it back to Merryville and restore happiness there.