12-year-old orphan Kex Bradley, escapes from an orphanage, hoping to see the world. He stows away on a lifeboat, but is later pushed overboard during a storm out at sea and later finds himself on an island called Dinotopia. Here, he befriends the beloved young dinosaur "26" (known from the miniseries) and a 12-year-old girl named Mara. They get in trouble fast as the evil Ogthar is released from his stone prison and recovers the Ruby Sunstone, whose dark power can endanger all of Dinotopia.