Mama and Papa gather their five children in the living room of their Harlem brownstone apartment for a family meeting. The older children—twins Isa and Jessie, who are 12, Oliver, who is 9, and Hyacinth, who is 6—think their parents are getting a divorce. Four-year-old Laney doesn’t understand the word divorce and practices her tumbling while her parents talk. Mama assures them they are not getting a divorce but wants to know how much the children like living in the brownstone. All the children agree they love living there except for their grouchy neighbor whom they call “the Beiderman,” (4) a reclusive man who does not like children, pets, or loud music, and who is also their landlord. Papa announces that even though he serves as the building superintendent along with his computer repair work, Mr. Biederman is not renewing their lease. The family must find another place to live just four days before Christmas. Oliver worries that it’s his fault since he once broke the Beiderman’s window with a baseball, and one time he broke a sprinkler head with a frisbee. Hyacinth thinks he’s angry because their dog Franz barks too much, but Isa claims it’s because she plays her violin too loudly.