He was Mowgli, Little Beaver, Bomba! He'd become his heroes! Young Roberto Kelly, convinced he's been abandoned by his parents and fearing placement in a children's detention center, flees to the Ro Grande bosque; the narrow cottonwood forest skirting the river as it meanders through the city of Albuquerque. Determined to survive like the classic lost boys, Bomba and Tarzan, he constructs hidden campsites and attempts to live off the land. His brief escapade is punctuated by a forest fire, hunger-driven excursions into the city, pursuit by law enforcement, and harrowing interactions with homeless men camping along the river. A startling friendship with a coyote pup and a fortuitous encounter with a gypsy family contribute to the boy's developing environmental spiritualism as winter approaches. Ultimately, a misguided venture away from the safety of his bosque leads to surprising consequences.