Popperjohn Goodfeather wants to follow the rules, work hard, and prove that he is not a burden. Rector William Abigail Wormsworth wants money, to be free of his mumsy, and to escape the wrath of a pirate.

The two find getting what they want difficult in the seaside town of Astoria. Along the way, Popperjohn meets a clever and independent street urchin who follows his own set of rules, a surly raven named Poe who loves baked goods, a patissier who gives him a chance, and a greedy pirate king who is after a very particular form of treasure.

Together they are thrust into an adventure, along with a cast of other helpful or hindering characters, that pits the need to follow rules against the need to sometimes break them-all in the name of loyalty to someone you call a friend.