In 1948, Nikko Spirakis, twelve, loves baseball but must get past his hard-working immigrant parents-and the rhino in the outfield-to become a batboy for the local minor league team.

When Rudi Bauer sets out for town one morning to trade, he never dreams that Susanna Louisa will sell his family's cow--for magic beans, no less! But that's exactly what she does, and the consequences will be disastrous unless Rudi can return the magic beans to their rightful owner, the evil witch of Petz. The journey to Petz is long and hard, but Rudi and Susanna Louisa soon find a shortcut: a magically sprouted beanstalk leads them straight there...and...