Tobin is a six-year-old orphan who yearns for a family. He finds a black walnut tree to be his friend. He calls the tree Mr. Good Tree. But one day Tobin discovers that Mr. Good Tree is going to be chopped down. Mr. Good Tree whispers something in Tobin's ear. Sobbing mightily, he is too devastated to hear. Anger unites with grief. Night is approaching, but he runs off into the forest alone where a scary, exhausting, and disappointing adventure begins. The adventure leads to Tobin unraveling that whispering voice and to a loving family and God.