Feisty and fun, liberated and opinionated, nine-and-a-half-year-old Bernie Bolton's ready to take on the world. Not all gifts are the ones you receive... Bernie is taking her first trip to New York City. Angry at the lack of Christmas presents she's received, she decides to explore the city on her own. Eventually she makes her way to Central Park, where she meets remarkable homeless man named Ellis Duncan. As evening falls, Ellis Duncan tells Bernie about a long ago Christmas and a wonderful and unforgettable gift.