At dinner one evening, Ramona excitedly tells her mom, dad, sister Beezus, and Aunt Beatrice that her friend Howie Kemp’s rich uncle is coming to visit. Beezus reports that the uncle is coming from Saudi Arabia, and Ramona reveals he has a job in the oil industry. Ramona is keen to remain the center of attention, but the family moves on to other topics and forgets about Howie’s rich uncle.

As the days pass Ramona becomes impatient to meet the rich uncle, and even accuses Howie of making him up. Finally, when Ramona goes to Howie’s house after school as usual, Howie’s Uncle Hobart is there. Ramona is surprised that Uncle Hobart does not seem as rich as she imagined—he does not have a limousine or anything fancy. When Uncle Hobart suggests that Ramona is Howie’s girlfriend, and teases her with a mushy song, she immediately dislikes and distrusts him.

When Uncle Hobart gives Howie a unicycle and his sister Willa Jean an accordion, he uses the instrument to tease Ramona again. She assertively tells him, “I don’t like grown-ups who tease” (9), and he promises to stop. As Hobart teaches Howie to ride the unicycle, Willa Jean accidentally breaks the accordion, which she didn’t like.