In Ned Flemkin's dreams he swings boldly through jungles, kills aliens for Interpol, and is never far from the trusty ten-inch Bowie knife he keeps in his waistband. In reality, he swings badly in baseball, kills dandelions for pocket money, and is never far from the four-inch newt he keeps in a bowl in his bedroom. At this rate he won't win the heart of the lovely Linda Bliss with his dashing exploits for, oh, another ten thousand years. But when a funky batch of Zippy Newt Food transforms Newton into a 500-pound behemoth whose only goal in life is to satisfy Ned's every childish whim, Ned finds out first-hand how much excitement a seven-year-old boy with a mischievous streak can truly handle.