Amos is a little Haitian boy who grows up in an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. He is used to not having a mommy or daddy, but he does have friends at the orphanage. In particular, one American family often crosses the sea to volunteer at the orphanage. They help paint and fix building problems; they make Amos feel like he has more friends. One day, something very scary happens at the orphanage. The ground begins to shake, and Amos and the other children have to go outside. They spend the night outside, and the ground keeps shaking and shaking. When the shaking finally stops, Amos hears the word "earthquake" and realizes something very bad has happened.

After several nights of sleeping outside, the leader of the orphanage takes Amos to get a haircut. He gets clean clothes and then flies in a plane for the first time in his life. When he is finally on solid ground again, he is surprised to see people he knows-American volunteers from the orphanage. Will Amos finally have a family of his own?.