After a few days in the 'real world', Alex and Zoe miss Animalia and want to return. But when they arrive, the city is in disrepair. They discover that time in Animalia moves at a different rate and a few days in their world is over a year in Animalia. Much to their surprise, G'Bubu and Iggy are no longer the leaders of Animalia, and instead King Tyrannicus is ruling the city.
With the Creeper gone and peace restored to Animalia, Alex and Zoe decide it's time to go home. Livingstone also decides to take a much needed break, but before he can go, he must choose a new leader. Allegra and Tyrannicus vie for the position, but ultimately Livingstone knows that a good leader must lead with his heart.
Following the blueprints of the scientist Peter Applebottom, the Creeper has invented a device that can corrupt the Corespore. This turns all Animalians, including Alex and Zoe, into ninnies. Gorillas are the only species not affected by the corruption, so G'Bubu leads the quest to restore the Corespore and free Animalia from ninni-ness.
The Creeper is accused of stealing from the Animalians, but without any hard evidence, Livingstone refuses to blame it. Encouraged by Tyrannicus, the enraged Animalians rush into the tunnels. It's a trap, however, and they become stuck. Meanwhile, the Creeper tries to sabotage the Core but is thwarted by Allegra, the only Animalian not in the tunnels.
Livingstone and Reenie are struck by the 'glums', a rare Animalian version of the blues. There is only one cure for the syndrome: a good, long laugh. But those affected with the glums don't find anything the least bit funny, so Alex, Zoe, G'Bubu and Iggy must criss-cross the kingdom in search of the funniest joke in Animalia.
Iggy is asked to babysit Echo while his parents, Erno and Elni, handle a portal-guarding shift. To entertain the baby elephant, Iggy tells him tales of Animalia in which Iggy is cast as the hero. But the Creeper sweeps Elni and Erno into the tunnels in order to kidnap Echo, whom the Creeper believes stands in the way of him controlling Animalia.