Gerald Durrell and his siblings are set to move to Corfu, Greece. However, their mother is reluctant because they have a new house in Bournemouth, England. The Durrells are suffering from a strange disease, which Larry, the eldest son, believes is due to dank weather. The family carries with them a dog named Roger. After landing in Greece, the family starts experiencing variations between the two countries. The first mission is to look for the villa. Spiro guides the family into getting a pink villa on a hill. As soon as they settle in Greece, Gerald spends time in the garden watching the microorganisms in the flowers.
Gerald starts familiarizing himself with locals and learning the local language. He becomes acquainted with Rose-Beetle man, who sells him a tortoise among other pets. Gerald’s mother gets him a teacher to be schooled. George is tasked with schooling Gerald. He learns that Gerald loves zoology. Therefore, he integrates his lessons with zoology. Larry plans to invite friends to their homes during the summertime. However, his mother is against the suggestion. Eventually, the family decides to relocate to a bigger yellow villa. Finally, Larry’s friends arrive.
During the summer, George is fired, and Peter is hired to teach Gerald. The siblings’ aunt, Hermione, informs the family that she will be visiting during the spring. The family is not amused by her proposal and decides to move to a smaller white house. Before long, Peter is also dismissed, and Mr. Kralefsky is hired as a new tutor. Mr. Kralefsky advises Gerald’s mother to enroll him in a good school to get a formal education. The mother informs the family that they will be getting back to England. An immigration official declares the Durrells traveling circus.
