With there father leaving to go off to war and their mother looking after wounded soldiers as a nurse, siblings Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and Hilary are force to go and live with their uncle in the countryside of Kent. While living with their uncle in Kent these five siblings stumble upon the Psammead (Eddie Izzard) a mysterious sand fairy that can grant wishes. However, there is a catch the Psammead can only grant one wish a day and the effects of the wish end at sunset. These five children will learn that the wishes can be intriguing but do not always work out the way they are planned.