When twins, Luka and Leandra find an abandoned baby fairy at the bottom of their grandparent's garden, they make it their mission to return her to the fairy world.
The twins are both imaginative and scientific, and enjoy photographing and observing animals in their backyard. They are avid readers and from information in a fairy folklore book and handwritten notes and maps, found inside the book and penned by their grandfather, the twins find the door into the Fairy Kingdom. Through information in the manual, they solve the problem of how to care for a new-born fairy. Together they commit themselves to nurture and take care of her until they can return her to the world in which she belongs. The little fairy, although very young and small demonstrates abilities and wisdom far beyond her age. Her human friends realise she is destined for greatness and the need to reunite her with her fairy kin becomes urgent.
A growing bond between themselves and the little fairy and a realisation that their grandfather, missing for two years, was the author of the journal and Fairy Manual, compel them to tell their grandmother, locate the door and shepherd the fairy safely into the fairy realm. They discover some of their own family history with the fairies that live in the garden which leads them to believe their grandfather is in the realm. Eventually meeting up with him, the twins are both shocked and excited, then saddened when Grandpa does not return with them to the human-world.
The appearance, in the Fairy Kingdom, of a malevolent being, Granwick the mischievous fairy driven by revenge, generates the need, not only for magical intervention but also courage, problem-solving and empathy when relating to friends and those who are not so friendly. The magical elements in the story have clearly defined rules and limitations, and act in the story in much the same way special skills and talents act in the human-world. Magical intervention is not relied on entirely to solve problems for the characters.
Luka and Leandra demonstrate abilities to be both logical and imaginative thinkers. The little fairy learns about consequences, accepts responsibility for her actions and through the help of her friends, discovers that she is truly both a fairy and a princess. Having both fairy-kinfolk and a human-family the three develop a deep and meaningful life-long bond. The Little Fairy, Princess Aliya, is now to learn all that she can about her fairy-kin and farewell her human-family, with a pledge to one day be reunited. The twins go back to their own home, agreeing to return and locate their grandfather.