Our story begins with a young boy of eight years called Jim, waking up in his flat in the fictional city of ‘Rumbletown’. It’s a school day and he isn’t feeling well, wishing to stay at home. His mother is sympathetic and agrees to let him stay but an argument ensues between with the the father who believes she’s being too soft. In despair, Jim intervenes and agrees to go to school. Despite having a positive day, Jim finds himself reluctant to go home to the conflict between his parents, and in a confused state he hangs back and sits on a bench in the school grounds.

Meanwhile in the land of Not Not. A wizard named Jasper is busy cleaning his cottage. Sweeping his floor and coughing, it’s clear he’s not well, and collapses to the ground.  In the corner of his sitting room is a trunk – the Magic Toybox – which he crawls over to. Knocking on the lid of the trunk, a group of toys leap out in delight, but are shocked to see the wizard collapses unconscious in front of them. Jasper returns to consciousness resting on a couch, and the toys gather around in consternation as he breaks them the news. Although they have been together for a hundred years, his time with them is at an end, and tells them of a job they have to do. The toys are inconsolable. At this point a large glowing red heart emerges from his chest. Holding it in front of him, he announces that this object is the Heart of Harmony, a source of great wealth and beauty that holds the balance of power across the known universe. In his passing, it’s the toys job to find the new guardian for the Heart. His final words of advice are this, there are many people who will try to steal this powerful Heart from them and use it for selfish ends. To find the new guardian, let the Toybox be their guide. Japser fades away, and the Heart – which turns white – is left behind.

In deep space we meet Naarg, a megalomaniac figure possessed by greed, and in charge of his intergalactic space fleet – The Naarg Force. His troops alert him to the appearance of an object emitting vast waves of energy detected in the land of NotNot. With Naarg’s furious orders, they urgently redirect their course to retrieve this source of energy.

Beginning their quest and climbing into the Magic Toybox, the toys find themselves transported to a new and strange world, that is cold and smelly – UpEarth. It’s here they meet Jim, sitting despondently on his bench outside the school. Naarg and his troops arrive from a flying saucer in the sky and aggressively take the Heart from the toys, zooming back off into space. The Toys realise they must pursue Naarg using the Toybox, but before they go, they persuade a very reluctant Jim to join them on their quest, sensing he might be able to help. 

The toybox arrive on Naarg’s craft – a large cold vessel. With Jim’s help the toys navigate themselves through the spaceship; facing dangers, breaking into unauthorised rooms, and avoiding Naarg’s troops. Before arriving at the ships energy centre where they find the heart being drained. At the point of retrieving the heart, a character called Monkey King swoops in and takes it from under their noses. They pursue Monkey King in the toybox, and land in a jungle high in the trees. Finding their way to the jungle citadel -with the aid of a happy-go-lucky monkey named Memet – they meet Monkey King for a final showdown. Having gained confidence throughout the story, Jim confronts Monkey King but is knocked from up high to the dark depths of the jungle – the down below. A chase takes place between Monkey King’s guards and the toys, resulting at last in the heart falling to the down below. Jim manages to catch the heart and notices the colour changing from white to red. Holding the heart to his chest, it dissolves into his being, and a look of radiance appears on his face. 

Having become the new guardian, Jim and the toys continue their journey in the Toybox, arriving at Jim’s bedroom back home. The toys now live with him, inside the magic toybox and his life is transformed. Friends are easily made, his teachers are supportive, and his parents have become loving and kind.