The story has a main character named Shelley the Shuttlecock who is a sports object, which is a Badminton Shuttlecock. She has been locked away in the attic of the Abbott family home for a long time. During the school holidays the two daughters in the Abbott family take her out of the attic to play with her in the garden. During the play Shelley the Shuttlecock is blown up into a tree where she starts an adventure, meeting several people and animals who help her along the way in returning her to the Abbott girls. The story is partly educational with life skills and morals throughout it, such as helping people in need and making new friends.