Ping is a chihuahua rescued from the pound by nearsighted Ethel, who thinks he’s a cat. When a pair of bumbling thieves try to break into Ethel’s house to steal the money they think she has stashed away, only Ping can foil their plans.

Eleven-year-old Margaret moves from the city to the suburbs and starts to contemplate everything about life, friendship and adolescence. She relies on her mother, Barbara, who offers loving support, and her grandmother, Sylvia.