Tia loves animals, though she doesn't always know much about them. When her school teacher shows her class pictures of javelinas, Tia immediately wants one of the cute, small, pig-like creatures for a pet. Her family goes to visit her grandmother in Arizona, where javelinas live in the wild, and Tia makes it her mission to find one and bring it home. In the meantime, she learns about taking chances, not jumping to conclusions, and that things aren't always as they seem.