Poppy the Polar Bear has always dreamed of becoming a flying trapeze artist.  One day, Zander the Gander surprises her by taking her to meet Franco Squirelli – an acrobatic squirrel of Italian descent and one quarter of the famous Squirelli Brothers - Tree Top Trapeze Artists.  Franco the Squirrel reluctantly agrees to teach Poppy – the 600lb Polar Bear - the art of the Trapeze and the high wire balance act.  An intense training regime is drawn up for Poppy, her costume is made, and word goes out about the great stunning finale.  As excitement builds around the forest for the upcoming show, Poppy starts to get cold feet about performing in front of everyone and worries about the finale - where Franco the Squirrel must catch her.  It’s up to Zander to allay her fears, fill her with encouragement and make sure the show goes on.

Milly the Frog has been sitting on her Lily Pad for an awfully long time.  In fact, neither Poppy nor Zander can remember a time when they saw Milly swim in the pond.  After some clumsy but well-intentioned questioning, Milly confesses to them both that she doesn’t get in the water because she doesn’t know how to dive … and the other frogs will make fun of her.  “Don’t worry Milly” Poppy reassured her, “Zander is a Goose – he’s the best diver in the forest, he’ll teach you!”  It was then they learned that Zander the Gander couldn’t swim.  Before long, the three friends hatch a plan to help each other out; Poppy teaches Milly to dive, Milly teaches Zander to swim.  What could possibly go wrong?  As it happens, quite a lot.

One morning, Big Andy – the Forest’s biggest Moose – wakes up to find a sock on his antler.  “Nobody leaves this forest”, he tells all the inhabitants quite angrily, “until I’ve unmasked the phantom sock flinger”.  With those unnecessarily aggressive words, the forest enters lockdown; nobody is allowed in and no one gets out. This, as it happens, is quite inconvenient for Poppy and Zander, who have made skateboarding plans.  “If we help you unmask the Phantom Sock Flinger, can we go to the Skateboard Park?” Poppy reasons with him.  Big Andy eventually agrees, and with that, an uneasy pact is made between Polar Bear, Gander, and scary Stag.  “Okay Poppy” Zander whispered in her ear “you’ve got us into this, now where do we start?”

Lottie the Otter has run away in search of adventure.  You see, life in the Holt is very cramped and chaotic for her with her younger brothers and sisters. So, one day Lottie packs her little bag, jumps on her little river raft, and sails down the river, deep into the dark forest.  But the forest is no place for an Otter on her own, especially when she’s accompanied by Wilbur the Wolf. When Lottie’s mother begs Poppy and Zander to bring her home, there’s only one thing they can say.  They say yes.  With night-time approaching and the air getting colder, Poppy the Polar Bear and Zander the Gander set off down the river in search of Lottie the Otter.