The story opens with the life of young James, which up until the age of four, is perfect. He has two loving parents, a multitude of friends, and a carefree life on the beach. The strength of the love instilled in James in these early years is powerful enough for him to survive and cling onto shreds of hope while enduring abuse by Spiker and Sponge. Even though James becomes “sadder and sadder, and more and more lonely” (5) he begs to go down to the beach, remembering the friendships and joy he experienced there. He does not forget the feelings of being loved and of being happy, feelings which are rekindled moments after he understands that the giant insects are not going to eat him. When he hears laughter, he realizes that he has not heard that sound in many years.

James’s openness and need for love and friendship overshadow the fact that his new friends are giant, scary-looking insects. True to most friend groups, the friendships amongst the insects are complicated and nuanced. However, despite personality clashes, the mutual respect and fondness held by all of them eclipses any meaningful antipathy. The trust that the insects place in James to get them out of every difficult situation heals his crippled self-esteem, allowing the already strong bonds of friendship to tighten.