When you're four inches high in a world full of giant people, things never go very well for long. After running into trouble at the quarry, the nomes want to go home. The problem is, 'home' is somewhere up in the stars, in some sort of Ship. Masklin must find a way to get to the 'launch' of a 'communications satellite' (whatever that is). And so begins an incredible journey, filled with peril, planes, honking geese... and a walking sandwich.