While the world is shaken by the terrible events of WWII, another war is being played out in the French countryside. The children of neighboring villages Longeverne and Velran have always hated each other. Now their battle takes a new turn: prisoners will have the buttons of their clothes removed and return home almost naked, vanquished, humiliated. The 'War of the Buttons' has been declared and whichever village collects the most buttons will be declared the victor. Alongside this conflict, the children witness the effects of the war being waged by adults and the Nazis dragging families out of their homes. When a young Jewish girl is faced with exposure to the Nazis, the children are faced with putting their own conflicts aside to protect her.
