The story's theme of friendship and brotherhood that transcends race, culture, life situations, and time. It takes place in 1955 New York City and follows the lives of two boys in an NYC orphanage.

The narrative delves into their backgrounds and how they came to reside in the orphanage. Despite their differences, they are as close as brothers. Michael, an 8-year old Irish American boy, has reddish-brown hair and green eyes. He is a huge baseball fan, with a Babe Ruth as his all-time favorite role model. Louis, an African American boy with short hair and brown eyes, idolizes Louis Armstrong and dreams of one day meeting him, playing music alongside him, and entertaining crowds. In his tree time, Louis tries to sing or play the saxophone like Louis Armstrong whenever his music is on the radio.

The boys face a tough time in orphanage, with few friends and unkind staff. They often get picked on and end up trouble, which results in them being excluded from the Christmas celebration and presents. On Christmas Eve night, a portal opens, and two beautiful, sparkling, colorful beings emerge, introducing themselves to the boys and explaining the situation, The boys go through the portal and find themselves at a train station, where they board a train. The story describes the journey, the train's details, and the scenery.