After making friends with an indoor sparrow at the shopping centre, Violet develops her 'Theory of Helping Small Things' (if you do something to help a small thing, it will find a way of helping you back). Her sister Nicola (who is always grumpy) is working on a natural science project, so Violet decides to study a ladybird called Small Gloria. When things turn disastrous for Nicola, Violet and Small Gloria, they put their pea brains together and find out about natural habitats.