This book is set on a farm in present-day time. The story is narrated by a little boy's grandfather who is telling his grandson about the Dust Bowl during the times of the Great Depression.  The grandfather is telling this story because the family is afraid this is going to happen to them again because of the lack of rain. The grandfather tells the grandson that because of the lack of rain everything was dry and dusty, which caused crops not to grow very well, as well as many other unfortunate things. The story ends with them wondering if they will have another drought to deal with.